Ian Farrow homered for his third-straight game, and Florida Gulf Coast University plated four runs in the third inning for the third game in a row, but the Eagles came up short in an upset bid of No. 5 TCU 11-6 in Fort Worth, Texas Sunday afternoon.
Trailing 3-1, FGCU (0-3) went to work in the third inning to retake the lead. After a leadoff single by
Charles Davalan, Farrow connected on a 2-0 pitch for a towering drive to left for his third homer of the season, tying the score at 3-all. With one out, Joey Lojewski doubled off the top of the wall in left to bring up
Harrison Povey. Povey found a pitch to his liking for the second game in a row and sent it out, this time for a two-run blast. The homer gave the Eagles a 5-3 advantage.
TCU (3-0) tied the game in the bottom of the inning, and the score stayed the same until the sixth when the Eagles played small ball to push a run across. A single by
Mac Moise and walks to Davalan and Farrow loaded the bases for pinch hitter
Evan Dempsey. The freshman hit a high chopper off the dirt in front of the plate and sent it towards short to end up with his first collegiate hit and RBI as he beat the throw to first, making it 6-5. FGCU wouldn't get anything else from the inning as TCU got out of the jam with no more runs scoring.
In the home half of the sixth, TCU would plate six runs to take the lead. While FGCU would get two runners on in the seventh and load the bases in the eighth, the Green & Blue couldn't get another run across the plate.
FGCU would still have one last highlight against the No. 5 team in the country. With the bases loaded and two men out, a deep drive to the fence in right center very nearly went out for a homer or at minimum an extra-base hit; however, Povey sprinted and made a leaping catch at the wall to end the inning.
As it stood, that would be the final pitch of the game. The "drop dead" time for FGCU's travel would hit before the teams could start another inning, giving the Horned Frogs the victory.
Nick Love (0-1) would take a hard-luck loss for the Eagles. The hurler retired the side in order in the fourth and struck out three batters in the fifth, but after TCU put runners in scoring position in the sixth, Love would be lifted. The inherited runners would score. and Love would be stuck with the decision.
The Eagles will be back in action Wednesday in North Port, Florida against Indiana State at CoolToday Field. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
NOTES: Farrow finished the series 6-for-13 with three home runs and nine RBI...Hitting leadoff as a true freshman, Davalan notched a .533 on-base percentage across the three games...Everyone who went up to bat for FGCU got on base at some point during the series.
