FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team could not hold on to a 3-0 lead as top-seeded Liberty rallied to defeat the Eagles, 4-3, Tuesday on day one of pool play in the ASUN Tournament. The Eagles fall to 34-22 and 0-1 in Pool A while the Flames improve to 34-20 and 1-0 in pool play.

"We got off to a fast start," said head Dave Tollett. "Unfortunately, we couldn't get much going after he early innings and couple of mistakes led to a few home runs for them which turned out to be the difference. This is why getting into Pool A was huge though, we know we still can advance with a couple of wins the next two days."

Sophomore Ian Farrow (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island HS) and graduate student Logan Sartori (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest HS/Texas A&M/Hutchinson CC) each hit home runs for the Eagles while redshirt-junior Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) collected two hits to reach base for the 67th straight game, extending his FGCU record.

On the mound, junior Tyler Tipton (Tampa, Fla./Gaither HS/South Florida State) got the start for the Green and Blue and threw 5.0 innings while allowing three runs and striking out two. Senior Gus Carter (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie HS/Florida Southwestern State) threw the final 3.0 innings and struck out five, but allowed one solo home run, which was the difference.

Farrow gave the Eagles the early lead in the first inning as he hit his 21st home run of the year, setting a new FGCU single-season record. It was a two-run shot which gives him 73 RBI for the season, just one shy of Jason Louwsma's FGCU record, set in 2006.

Sartori extended the Eagle lead in the fourth as he hit a ball a mile high that just snuck over the 325 marking down the left-field line.

After keeping the Flames off the board for the first three innings, Liberty got to Tipton in the fourth as they hit two two-out singles before 1st-Team All-ASUN DH Brady Gulakowski hit a three-run home run to tie the game.

The Eagles had two runners on in both the sixth and seventh, but a couple of double plays ended the threats.

In the bottom of the seventh, Gulakowski swung at the first pitch he saw from Carter and planted his second home run of the day over the right-center field wall to give the Flames the lead.

The Eagles had one last chance in the ninth. Sartori led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. However, Liberty's Mason Fluharty got a strikeout and ground out to strand the tying run at second base.

Most home runs
1. 21 - FARROW, Ian - 2022
2. 20 - MAXFIELD, Zach - 2009
    20 - RIVERA, Nick - 2017
4. 19 - KINKER, Joe - 2022
    19 - ROBERSON, Tim - 2009
6. 15 - POVEY, Harrison - 2022
7. 14 - GREENE, Robert - 2009
    14 - LOUWSMA, Jason - 2005
9. 13 - ROBERSON, Tim - 2010
    13 - ROTTMAYER, Geoff - 2006
    13 - FIGUEREDO, Alejandro - 2022
    13 - KINKER, Joe - 2021

Most runs batted in
1. 74 - LOUWSMA, Jason - 2006
2. 73 - FARROW, Ian - 2022
3. 70 - RIVERA, Nick - 2015
4. 66 - MAXFIELD, Zach - 2009
5. 65 - ROBERSON, Tim - 2009
    65 - COOPER, Jason - 2004
    65 - BROWN, Chris - 2003
8. 63 - BORRELL, Ozzie - 2007
    63 - ROBERSON, Tim - 2010
10. 61 - POVEY, Harrison - 2022
    61 - FIGUEREDO, Alejandro - 2022
    61 - LOUWSMA, Jason - 2005
    61 - NOLL, Jake - 2016

FGCU will look to bounce back tomorrow at 3 p.m. when they take on #2 Lipscomb. Two wins over the next two days for the Eagles will still guarantee advancement to the semifinals on Friday. One win over the next two days may be enough to advance, but the Eagles would need some help.

For complete coverage of FGCU baseball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_Baseball and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU baseball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
 
COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 670-407-3 overall record (.623) and a 226-128 (.641) record in the ASUN. He is the only head coach in the program's history and led the program to its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. He is a five-time ASUN Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to five ASUN Regular Season Championships and one ASUN Tournament Championship. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions, including as high as No. 9 in the country in 2017, and has coached 58 all-conference selections, 33 draft picks, three current major leaguers, 13 current minor leaguers, four ASUN Pitchers of the Year, four All-Americans, three ASUN Players of the Year, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one seven-time MLB All-Star.
 
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
 
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.

ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 92 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 10 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 45 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 25 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2021) each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.