FORT MYERS, Fla. – Junior Angelina Bonilla (Coral Gables, Fla./Coral Gables HS) and the FGCU softball team shut out Eastern Kentucky for a 4-0 game-one win Friday night at the FGCU Softball Complex.
Bonilla (8-5) tossed her fifth shutout of the season and her sixth complete game en route to the victory. Bonilla scattered just four hits (all singles), forced 11 groundouts, and struck out two over 115 pitches.
Bonilla has emerged as FGCU's de facto Friday night starter and the most productive pitcher in the Eagles stable this season. Four of her five shoutouts have come in ASUN play.
FGCU improved to 25-19 and 7-6 in league play, snapping a four-game skid with its first-ever victory over the Colonels. The Eagles also snapped EKU's four-game win streak, as the Colonels fall to 20-18 overall and 4-9 in the ASUN.
"Just another stellar day in the circle from Angie," said FGCU softball head coach David Deiros. "We did just enough in the second to give her some breathing room, and she closed the door all day long. Feels good to be back in the win column, and looking forward to transitioning that momentum in Saturday's matchup."
A four-run second would be all that Bonilla and FGCU would require. Junior Caridad Estes (West Palm Beach, Fla./Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches/Ball State) went with an outside pitch to send a two-run single through the right side of the infield -- giving FGCU a 2-0 lead. One batter later, freshman Emily Chiarella (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS) powered an infield single through the 5-6 hole to drive in freshman Tiffany Meek (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./William T. Dwyer HS). Freshman Olivia Black (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Central HS) was originally called out at the plate during the same play, but the umpire crew deemed her safe due to an obstruction by the shortstop -- making it 4-0 Eagles.
The Eagles are now 19-3 on the season when FGCU strikes first. The Green & Blue also reached the three-steal benchmark to improve to 15-0 on the year when swiping at least three bags.
Five of FGCU's six hits occurred in the second inning. Black's infield-single in the fifth would be the only Eagle hit the rest of the way. All six hits Friday night were produced by a different Eagle.
The Green & Blue could have done more damage in the fifth by opening the floodgates, but would strand the bases loaded.
Military Appreciation Day and game two of the FGCU-EKU series is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the FGCU Softball Complex.
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 731-416-3 (.635) record, gone 183-115 (.613) 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 97 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 48 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. Nine FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20 in 2021-22 and No. 22 in 2022-23), baseball (No. 15 in 2023), beach volleyball (No. 20 in 2022), and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as five 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 3.67 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2022 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 27 consecutive semesters. The past seven semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 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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