FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jake McKee hit a seventh-inning grand slam Friday to lift Florida Gulf Coast University baseball past Jacksonville 13-12 in game one at Swanson Stadium.
FGCU trailed 11-7 heading into the seventh. The Eagles produced six runs in the frame capped by McKee's grand salami. Evan Dempsey drove in the first run of the inning, and then Cayden Hessemyer reached based on a critical two-out fielding error by the Jacksonville shortstop, scoring Matt Moise in the process. The error extended the inning and inevitably brought McKee up to the plate after a Jake Mummau walk loaded the bases.
With one swing of the bat, McKee put the Eagles ahead once again 13-11 as Friday night's game one witnessed four lead changes. The home run was McKee's first of the season and his career with the Green & Blue.
Anthony Ursitti earned his second save of the season to preserve the win, pitching the final two frames in relief. Jacksonville pushed one across in the eighth against Ursitti, but the senior worked around a two-out hit by pitch to record the final out and help the Eagles keep pace in the ASUN Graphite Division. The win moved FGCU to 11-19 overall and 3-7 in league play.
Jacksonville scored the game's first run in the very first inning. FGCU responded with a Robert Moya two-run blast in the bottom of the same frame. Jacksonville tied the contest at two runs apiece in the second, but Hesseymer drove the ball back up the middle and off the mound for an RBI single to contribute to the Eagles retaking a 3-2 advantage.
FGCU would lead by as many as 6-2 through three complete, thanks to Vincent Samuels's productive at-bat. JU then responded with a four-run fifth to take a 7-6 lead as the wild back-and-forth battle unfolded.
The Eagles tied the game in the fifth inning on a chaotic play. Aidan Corn lifted a ball to shallow right field, and the ball found a green spot to safely land. On his way to second, Corn tried to stretch out a double, but Jacksonville's left fielder threw the live ball past second base and into the left field foul territory – allowing Corn to scamper around third and head for home to complete the play.
A four-run sixth saw JU take an 11-7 lead, almost eliminating Corn's little league-like home eun effort. FGCU continued the scoring barrage in the seventh, leading up to McKee's pivotal grand slam.
McKee and Dempsey produced multiple hits Friday. McKee finished 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs. Dempsey went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. FGCU scored its 13 runs on just nine hits. JU outhit the Eagles 16-9.
Game two of the home weekend series against Jacksonville is set for 2 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+.
