FORT MYERS, Fla. - Florida Gulf Coast University scored in every inning, putting up 15 runs combined over the second and third innings as the Eagles opened up an Atlantic Sun Conference baseball series with a 21-1 victory over Eastern Kentucky University Friday night at Swanson Stadium.
The Eagles (24-23, 16-9) scored a run on a wild pitch in the first before the flood gates opened in the second to the tune of seven runs. After a
Charles Davalan single scored
Trevor Kole,
Mac Moise's second double of the game plated
Dawson Place and Davalan to make it 4-0. Moise would come home a batter later on a single by
Evan Dempsey to make it a 5-0 advantage for the home side. With the bases loaded later in the inning, Kole singled through the left side to plate two runs, and when the ball was misplayed in right,
Javier Gorostola came home with the third run of the play, making it 8-0 before the second inning was over.
"We got some big contributions and we were able to hit," said FGCU head coach
Dave Tollett. "When a [starting pitcher] comes out and he's throwing 96 to 99, he's just a real special arm. He's very talented, so it was good to get on top there in the first two innings."
The runs made it smooth sailing for
Davian Garcia, who allowed just one unearned run in four innings of work. The hurler improved to 4-2 thanks to FGCU winning the game after the ASUN-mandated run rule took effect.
Matt Kavanaugh,
Anthony Ursitti, and Will Haberstock each worked a scoreless inning, with Haberstock striking out the side in the seventh.
"Our pitching is getting better," Coach Tollett said. "I've said from February 18th on that this team is going to get better, and I think we're peaking at the right time, which is really good for us."
Along the way, the Eagles bats kept coming up big, with patience at the plate playing a key role. The Green & Blue drew 13 walks in the contest and had five hit batters. The third inning would see FGCU notch seven hits and pour on eight more runs as the Eagles batted around for the second inning in a row.
Three more runs crossed the plate in the fourth with the benefit of just one hit as Davalan's RBI double was the only knock of the frame.
Ian Farrow and Dempsey each drew bases loaded walks to make it 19-1 after four.
Harrison Povey started the sixth by turning on the first pitch and hitting a 426-foot blast to right to make it 20-1.
Dalton Robinson's sacrifice fly in the seventh scored
Jake McKee as the Eagles closed the scoring with a 21-1 win.
Kole and Dempsey each finished with four RBI on the night.
Dawson Place reached base his first four times at the plate by either a walk or a hit by pitch. In all, FGCU's bottom third of the order (Gorostola, Kole and Place) combined to score eight runs. "We talk about the 7-8-9 spots on the pitching side and also from the offensive side, because if you can set the table for Davalan, Farrow, and Moise and that bunch, that's a really good situation to be in."
The Eagles will look to carry the momentum into Saturday's second game of the series. First pitch at Swanson Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
