FORT MYERS, Fla. – Justin Henschel recorded nine strikeouts Friday as Florida Gulf Coast University baseball delivered a 9-1 opening day victory over Fairfield at Swanson Stadium.

"I thought it was a great opening night," head coach Dave Tollett said. "Henschel was pretty special. We had a freshman get his first hit and drive in the first two runs. I thought we played solid defense. It was a good first game for us. It's very important that we grow mentally and come ready to play to win the series tomorrow."

Henschel retired 16 of his 18 batters faced, allowing just a single hit in five flawless innings of work. His nine strikeouts tied a career high. The Stags' first hit of the game and of the season did not occur until the fourth inning. Henschel walked his first batter but retired his next 11, settling down in front of numerous professional scouts in attendance. He struck out five straight over the course of the second inning and into the fourth, punching out the side in the third frame.

Dylan Cheeley and Hunter Possehl pitched the final four innings in relief. Cheeley recorded five strikeouts in three innings, and Possehl had one as the FGCU pitching staff tallied 15 strikeouts Friday.

Facing a 2-2 count and two outs in his first-ever collegiate at-bat, freshman Jon Embury singled up the middle in the bottom of the second to bring home the first runs of the game and of the year.

Harrison Povey drove in another pair of runs in the third with a two-run RBI single to center field. FGCU pushed across five runs in the third to lead 7-0 through three complete. In the fifth, Robert Moya wrapped a solo blast, the first of the season and the 17th of his career, around the left field foul pole to make it 8-0 Eagles.

Mac Moise, Aidan Corn and Moya each produced multiple hits Friday. Corn, another FGCU freshman, finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs scored.

Fairfield scored its lone run in the eighth inning. Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Swanson Stadium.