TAMPA, Fla. – The FGCU softball team battled hard against South Florida on Wednesday, but inevitably dropped both games of the road doubleheader showdown.
The Eagles fell 3-0 in game one, mustering only two hits. In game two, FGCU suffered a 3-1 defeat despite holding a 1-0 lead deep into the sixth inning.
With the doubleheader sweep, FGCU falls to 7-6 overall on the season, while USF improves to 4-7.
"Really liked our toughness and willingness to battle today, with it being our first road test of the season," said FGCU softball head coach David Deiros. "Had a tough time getting the bats going in spots, but our pitching kept us in both contests. We are going to need more of that going forward, and especially heading into this weekend up in Tallahassee."
Two hits in game one marked an season-low offensive output for the Eagles. Freshman Nikki Gibson (Yorktown, Va./Grafton HS) and graduate Tayli Filla (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS/USF) were credited with FGCU's lone hits.
Fill's bunt single in the top of the fourth extended her hit streak to 13 games dating back to last season.
USF opened with a run in the first and two in the second to take its 3-0 lead. Senior Ally Hulme (Safety Harbor, Fla./Sickles HS/State College of Florida) and junior Claire Maulding (Casey, Ill./Casey Westfield HS/Lake Land College) combined to stifle the Bulls' offensive attack the rest of the way, allowing only one hit from the third inning on.
Hulme earned the start, her sixth of the season, as was credited with the loss in four innings of work. Hulme surrendered three runs on six hits and struck out two.
USF's Gabriella Noir threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout against the Eagles, the first time FGCU has been held scoreless all season.
In game two, freshman Olivia Black's (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Central HS) first collegiate RBI in the top of the third broke the scoring ceiling for FGCU.
The Eagles would hold the slim 1-0 advantage into the sixth inning, as junior Angelina Bonilla (Coral Gables, Fla./Coral Gables HS) recorded a bases-loaded strikeout in the fifth to keep the Bulls at bay.
However, USF would break off a three-run rally in the sixth to put FGCU away. USF scored its three runs by a bases-loaded walk, a sacrifice fly, and a RBI single.
Filla's 13-game hit streak was snapped in game two, but Gibson's on-base streak remained alive and was extended to 13 courtesy of a walk.
Junior Caridad Estes (West Palm Beach, Fla./Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches/Ball State), freshman Tiffany Meek (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./William T. Dwyer HS), and senior Abbey Thomas (Fort Myers, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) each produced one of FGCU's three hits in game two
FGCU heads north to Tallahassee for the Unconquered Invitational running Thursday through Saturday.
The Eagles will first battle No. 7 Florida State (9-3) at 6 p.m. Thursday. On Friday, FGCU will face Troy (6-3) at 10 a.m. and No. 6 Florida State again at 4:45 p.m. On Saturday, the Eagles will then play Troy once more at 10 a.m. and finish with Lamar (2-9) at 12:15 p.m.
Both FGCU-FSU matchups will be aired on ACCN Extra.
For up-to-the-minute information on the FGCU softball program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_Softball, Instagram at fgcusoftball, Facebook, and stay tuned at FGCUAthletics.com.
COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros enters his 21st season as head coach in 2023. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the ground up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 713-403-3 (.638) record, gone 176-109 (.618) in the ASUN, had 16 seasons with a winning record and nine campaigns of 35+ wins. Deiros has also led the Eagles to three ASUN regular season championships (2008, 2012, and 2016) and one ASUN Tournament title (2012). In 2012, FGCUdefeated No. 5 Florida in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Last season (2022), FGCU took down both No. 8 Texas and No. 10 Florida once again. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-Up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-Up Gulf Coast High School in Naples.
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 FGCUCampus Food Pantry (https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/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 https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 94 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 47 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. 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 four of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green & 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 26 consecutive semesters. The past six semesters (Fall 2019 – Spring 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative team GPA. 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.
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