Jake McKee's tiebreaking single in the eighth inning scored Mac Moise with what proved to be the game-winning run as Florida Gulf Coast University opened play in the Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Championship with a 7-6 win over Lipscomb University on Tuesday night in DeLand, Florida.

Evan Dempsey started on the mound for the Eagles and threw six shutout innings before exiting to start the seventh with FGCU leading 6-0. Lipscomb responded with six runs against the FGCU bullpen to tie the game. The Eagles answered in the top of the eighth. Moise drew a walk, moved to second on Nathan Gagnon's sacrifice bunt, and scored when McKee lined a 1-0 pitch back up the middle for a single.

Lipscomb threatened in the bottom of the eighth, putting the tying run on second with one out, but Ashton Pocol came on to retire the next two batters and strand the runner. Pocol returned in the ninth and retired the side in order to earn the save and secure the win for FGCU.

The Eagles (27-28) took the lead in the fifth with four runs on just one hit. After back-to-back walks and a groundout put two runners in scoring position, Dempsey's chopper to second brought home Moise with the game's first run. Cayden Hessemyer followed with a grounder to third that took a bad hop off the fielder's shoulder, allowing Gagnon to score. Three pitches later, Jaret Nelson launched a two-run homer over the left-field fence to make it 4-0.

FGCU added two more in the sixth with clutch two-out hitting. After an error put Jon Embury on second, Gagnon singled up the middle to score him. Gagnon then stole second and scored on Dempsey's single through the right side, extending the lead to 6-0.

Ryland Bozenhard (4-2) earned the win in relief, while Pocol picked up his fifth save of the season.

FGCU advances to face host and Graphite Division top seed Stetson on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.


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