FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team made quick work of Stonehill on Wednesday by sweeping the midweek doubleheader matchup at the FGCU Softball Complex.
In the first-ever meeting between the Eagles and the Skyhawks, FGCU shutout Stonehill 8-0 in five innings. Wednesday's shutout marked just the third time FGCU has held an opponent scoreless this season, and was the first Eagles run-rule victory of the year.
In game two, it was all Eagles once again -- as FGCU dominated the Skyhawks 8-1. Winners of six straight, FGCU improves to 13-9 overall as Stonehill falls to 0-14 in its first season as a Division I institution.
"We did exactly what we were supposed to do today," said FGCU softball head coach David Deiros. "We scored early and often and did not have any letdown innings. Today was a great all-around opportunity to try a few things, build confidence, and get reps after a long week off. Looking forward to heading back up to Tampa for some more tests to see how far we have come as a collective group."
FGCU scored two in the first, plated three in the second, and added three more to begin the afternoon. Offensively, the Eagles scattered nine hits in game one, without using the long ball in either game.
Both freshman Nikki Gibson (Yorktown, Va./Grafton HS) and sophomore Avery Viancos (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona HS) produced two hits apiece to lead the charge, while sophomore Kayleigh Roper (Venice, Fla./Venice HS/Michigan State) and senior Neely Peterson (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Cypress Creek HS/Colorado State & Santa Fe College) smacked doubles.
Gibson and Viancos finished the opener a perfect 2-for-2 up at the plate, both scoring a run. Viancos also snagged two stolen bases. Entering the day, FGCU ranked No. 25 in the nation in stolen bases per game at 2.15 per game, and safely snagged six bags in the first game against the Skyhawks.
Roper's two RBIs gave her 19 on the year, but graduate Tayli Filla (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS/USF) still holds the team and ASUN Conference lead with 20.
The Green & Blue pitching staff held the Skyhawks to two only hits in game one, as senior Ally Hulme (Safety Harbor, Fla./Sickles HS State College of Florida) tossed four scoreless innings to earn her fifth win of the season. Hulme recorded four strikeouts during her outing to bring herself to within 19 of moving into FGCU's all-time top list in career strikeouts.
In game two, FGCU once again plated a pair of runs in the opening frame. The Eagles then used a five-run third to soar out to a 7-0 lead. Stonehill's lone run of the day came in the fifth, but the Eagles responded with a run of their own en route to seal the 8-1 win.
As a team, the Eagles added three more stolen bases and matched its run and hit total with eight.
Senior Owen Bowers (Hamlet, N.C./Richmond Senior HS Presbyterian & Florida SouthWestern State) stroked two hits, including an RBI double. Gibson produced an RBI triple to score the first game-two run.
Junior Angelina Bonilla (Coral Gables, Fla./Coral Gables HS) fanned five batters in four her innings of work, earing her second win of the season in just her second start.
FGCU will head back to Tampa on Thursday for its fourth and final tournament this season. The Green & Blue will face off against against Penn State on Thursday at 4 p.m., Illinois on Friday at 9 a.m., both Penn State at 9 a.m. and Saint Francis at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, and close with Marist on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Eagles are 1-2 all-time against Penn State, 0-2 all-time versus Illinois, and 13-25 all-time against current Big Ten foes.
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 719-406-3 (.637) 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, FGCU defeated 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 95 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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