FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Florida Gulf Coast University baseball team ended its six-game skid with a 16-6 run-rule victory over visiting Bethune-Cookman University this afternoon at Swanson Stadium. With the win, the Eagles even the three-game series at one apiece.
The Eagles wasted no time getting on the board in their half of the first.
Evan Dempsey reached first after being drilled by the pitch then moved to second when
Javier Gorostola singled to left.
Harrison Povey put the team up 3-0 when he tallied his seventh home run of the season. Following a flyout to center, FGCU added another run when
Mac Moise homered over the right field wall to make it 4-0 before the inning ended.
FGCU (5-9) kept the momentum going as it headed to the bottom of the second and it started when
Jake Mummau singled to left and then stole second. He later scored to make it 5-0 off a throwing error by the shortstop, which allowed
Aidan Corn to reach first and then move to second. Dempsey, who was hit in the first this time singled to the gap in center while Corn moved to third. With no outs, Gorostola's RBI single to left scored Corn and sent Dempsey to third.
Now with one down,
Robert Moya got in on the action with an RBI single to make it 7-0 and sent Gorostola to third. The Eagles tallied their fifth single of the frame when Moise drove in Gorostola to make it 8-0 with one out. Moya went first to third on the play and later scored off of
Jon Embury's sac-fly to left to push the lead to 9-0 before the frame came to a close.
After both teams went scoreless in the third, Bethune-Cookman added a pair of runs in the fourth to cut the lead to seven. FGCU in its half of the fourth responded and scored two runs of its own to push the lead to 11-2.
The Wildcats (7-8) added a run in the sixth to trail 11-3, but FGCU tacked on four more runs in the bottom half of the inning to push the lead to, 15-3.
Bethune-Cookman added three runs on four hits in the sixth to cut the lead to nine and trail, 15-6.
FGCU took a 15-6 lead in the bottom of the seventh looking to end the game via run-rule. Corn opened the inning with a single up the middle. Following a fly out to center, Gorostola reached on a fielder's choice to third. Corn was out on the play at second. Gorostola was later lifted for pinch-runner
Vincent Samuel. Samuel then scored off Povey's RBI game-winning triple to right center to give the Eagles the victory.
The Eagles' 16 hits today are a season-high breaking the previous high of 13 hits that were accomplished twice this season against Fairfield (2/16/25) and Stony Brook (2/22/25). The 16 runs were also a season-high breaking the original mark of 10 runs in a game.
Starting pitcher
Jordan Vera earned his first win of the season to move to 1-3. He scattered six hits over five innings of work allowing three runs (two earned) and striking out two.
Gorostola, Moya, and Moise each tallied three hits apiece while going a combined 9-for-13 on the day with seven runs scored, eight RBIs, two doubles, and a home run.
Povey finished the day going 2-for-4 with a home run, triple, four RBIs, and two runs scored. He and Moya each tied for the team-high four RBIs in the game.
FGCU is back in action tomorrow as it looks to win the series against the Wildcats. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
