FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Eastern Kentucky evened up the weekend series against the FGCU softball team Saturday, as the Eagles suffered a 6-2 game-two defeat at the FGCU Softball Complex.

With the loss, the Green & Blue dropped back down to .500 in the ASUN Conference at 7-7, 25-20 overall. EKU's bounce-back win improved the Colonels' overall record out to 21-18 and 5-9 in league play.

The series-deciding third game is set for noon Sunday, as FGCU eyes its fourth ASUN series victory of the season.

"Just a tough day from the jump," said FGCU softball head coach David Deiros. "We were trying to claw back, but now must look forward to the rubber game (Sunday)."

Senior Ally Hulme (Safety Harbor, Fla./Sickles HS/State College of Florida) received the starting nod Saturday for the 18th time this season, and tossed the opening three innings before being pulled. 

In the third, EKU smacked a three-run home run off of Hulme to extend its advantage to 4-0 after plating a run in the first inning via a RBI double.

EKU scored four runs on only two hits against Hulme (9-8), but opposing batters have gotten the better of Eagle veteran of late -- as Hulme has now surrendered three three-run home runs in her last two starts.

FGCU fought back with a two-run fifth, as freshman Emily Chiarella (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS) and graduate Tayli Filla (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS/USF) produced back-to-back RBI singles to pull the Eagles to within two, 4-2.

The Eagles outhit the Colonels 9-8, and produced a double and a triple, but would strand eight runners on base when threatening to cut into the deficit. EKU limited FGCU to just a single stolen base Saturday, keeping the Eagles from utilizing their difference-making speed. Entering the weekend, FGCU ranked No. 8 in the nation in total stolen bases.

Filla collected three hits to lead the Eagles, including a double, for her 10th multi-hit outing of the season. Filla finished 3-for-4.

Eastern Kentucky pushed across its final two runs of the day in the seventh en route to the victory. FGCU is now 1-12 in games this season when allowing six or more runs.

Brooke Davis was credited with her sixth win of the season for EKU, while Lauren Narvaez earned her third save.

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 is in his 21st season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the ground up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 731-417-3 (.635) record, gone 183-116 (.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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