FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University baseball succumbed to a late-game rally Friday to drop game one of the weekend series against Bethune-Cookman 12-9 at Swanson Stadium.

The Wildcats appeared to be no match for the Eagles early as FGCU led by as many as 7-2 through five complete innings. FGCU put up a crooked number, three runs, in the first and did so again in the fourth. The Eagles added another run in the third on a solo shot from Harrison Povey. FGCU's 3-spot in the fourth came on Mac Moise's three-run blast.

Chris Diaz earned the Friday night start on the bump and pitched lights out, except for two bad pitches. Despite giving up two home runs, Diaz struck out nine in 4.2 innings of work. The FGCU bullpen did not hold the line.

With Diaz out, Bethune-Cookman scored five runs in the fifth and tied the game on a grand slam. The Wildcats added four more runs in the seventh, making it 11-7. FGCU finally responded to BCU's nine unanswered runs with Povey's second homer of the day, cutting the deficit to three 11-8.

FGCU plated one run in the bottom of the ninth and brought the tying run up to the plate with runners on first and second, but a lineout to first put a stop to a potential comeback bid for the Eagles.

Game two of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Swanson Stadium.