Robert Moya connected on a three-run home run, one of three long balls on the day for Florida Gulf Coast University, as the Eagles rallied to defeat Queens College of Charlotte 7-5 in the finale of an Atlantic Sun Conference baseball series from Charlotte, North Carolina Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles (12-14, 5-4 ASUN) won for the first time this season after being tied or trailing after the first inning. They did so on the strength of a pair of three-run innings, a solid start on the mound from
Lucas Hartman, and clutch relief pitching from
Justin Henschel.
Down 3-0 after the Royals put three on the board in the bottom of the second, the Eagles tied the game in the visiting half of the third.
Charles Davalan and
Jacob Lojewski each connected on a solo homer to cut the lead to one. Three batters later, with
Harrison Povey on second,
Mac Moise lifted a fly ball that both the second baseman and the right fielder for Queens lost in the sun. Povey came home to score and the Eagles knotted the score, 3-3.
In the fifth, the Green & Blue grabbed their first lead of the weekend. Lojewski drew a four-pitch walk and Povey singled on the first pitch he saw to put two men on for Moya. On a 1-2 offering, Moya sent a rocket out to dead center, easily clearing the fence for his third homer of the series, giving the Eagles a 6-3 lead.
FGCU tacked on an insurance run in the seventh. Moise would find a 1-1 pitch low and inside that he would be able to turn on and keep fair. The solo shot gave the Eagles a four-run advantage with nine outs left to get.
Hartman (5-1) worked 6.1 strong innings on the mound, allowing three runs before giving way to Henschel with two men on and one out in the seventh. After a single to the first batter, Henschel battled back to strike out the next two Royals and leave the bases loaded and the lead still at four.
Queens (7-20, 3-6 ASUN) got two runs against Henschel in the ninth, but the hurler would get a fly out and a ground out to close out the game and give the Eagles the 7-5 win. The outing resulted in Henschel's first save of his FGCU career.
The Eagles had 10 hits in the contest, with Davalan, Moise, and
Evan Dempsey each getting two hits. FGCU also drew three walks and had four batters hit by pitches.
FGCU will be back in action Tuesday as it takes on Florida International University at Swanson Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
