FORT MYERS, Fla. -
Jaret Nelson belted two home runs and
Evan Dempsey drove in three runs as Florida Gulf Coast University rolled past Stetson 10-3 on Friday afternoon at Swanson Stadium in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
The Eagles (25-28, 15-14 ASUN) scored in six of eight innings and limited the Hatters (37-18, 24-5 ASUN) to just four hits. Dempsey, who also started on the mound, teamed up with Chris Diaz, Preston Rogers and Ashton Pocol to hold Stetson to only six total base runners.
The win, combined with North Florida's 15-4 (7) loss to Jacksonville locks the Eagles into the No. 3 seed out of the ASUN Graphite Division. FGCU will open the ASUN Championship on Tuesday against Lipscomb, the No. 2 seed from the Gold Division.
FGCU struck early, manufacturing a run in the first inning as Jake McKee doubled, advanced on a ground out and scored on Cayden Hessemyer's sacrifice fly. Nelson followed in the second with a solo shot to center field, and McKee later tripled—thanks in part to the sun—before scoring on Dempsey's ground out to make it 3-0.
Stetson responded with two runs in the fourth, but the Eagles quickly answered. Tyler Herb and Mac Moise singled with two outs, setting up Nathan Gagnon's RBI double to restore a two-run cushion.
A solo homer in the fifth brought the Hatters within one, but FGCU pulled away from there. Harrison Povey launched a one-out homer in the sixth, and the Eagles broke the game open in the eighth with back-to-back two-run doubles from Dempsey and Jon Embury. Nelson capped the scoring with his second homer of the day, a solo shot to right.
Diaz (6-2) earned the win with three innings of relief. Rogers followed with three perfect innings, and Pocol closed it out, allowing just one hit.
The series concludes Saturday at 1 p.m. at Swanson Stadium. Fans attending the game should be aware of potential traffic delays due to high school graduations at nearby Alico Arena.
