FORT MYERS, Fla. – Head coach
Lindsay Fico earned a pair of milestone victories on Friday night, notching her first win at FGCU and her 100th career Division I victory in an 8-0 run rule win over Long Island.
"This win is about the people and players who have poured into this journey along the way," Fico said. "I've been fortunate to coach incredible young women and work with staffs who believe in doing things the right way. Getting my first win at FGCU while reaching 100 Division I wins is humbling, but it's really a reflection of all the players, coaches and families who have supported me through all of the ups and downs. I don't take for granted this special opportunity to continue a legacy of success here in Fort Myers."
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Freshman pitcher
Julia Bacoulis starred in the win over the Sharks. In her first career appearance, she twirled a complete game, two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts. Bacoulis had four 1-2-3 innings in the six-inning victory, and she recorded six of her eight strikeouts looking on the night.
Bacoulis became the first FGCU freshman to record eight or more strikeouts in a game since Morgan White struck out ten on March 19, 2017 against Cleveland State.
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Tiffany Meek and
Sietske Drijvers had excellent nights at the plate. Meek went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI, and Drijvers went 2-for-3 with a double and home run.
FGCU opened the game quickly, getting a single from
Kiki Daniels and a double from Drijvers to set the table with runners on the corners.
Mackenzie Leiti walked to load the bases, and
Parris Wiggs walked on four pitches to force the first run of the game to the plate. On an 0-1 count, Meek laced the ball to right field past the outfielder, and cruised into third for a stand-up, bases-clearing triple.
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The closest the Sharks came to getting on the board was in the fifth inning. A single snuck past the glove of a diving
Mackenzie Leiti at first, but
Ally Thompson kept the ball in the infield with a dive of her own, redirecting it back to Leiti. Leiti picked it up and fired a laser to
Sietske Drijvers behind the plate; and Drijvers applied the tag to Jennifer Rodriguez, who was attempting to score from second.
The Eagles broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth. Daniels walked and
Olivia Black sacrificed her to second before Drijvers crushed FGCU's first home run of 2026 to left center field.
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Nikki Gibson reached on a fielder's choice two batters later, and
Parris Wiggs hit a double to right center to score Gibson from first to put FGCU up 7-0. With Wiggs standing on second as the winning run, Meek hit a single into the outfield to score Wiggs for the walk-off victory.
In the opening game of the day, FGCU found itself on the wrong side of a pitchers duel. Hits were scarce for both the Eagles and Southern Illinois, with just seven total between the two squads.
Grace Taylor threw a complete game for FGCU in the loss, with the lone runs coming on a two-run homer.
Nikki Gibson doubled in the fifth and Daniels tripled in the seventh, but the Eagles were unable to capitalize and fell, 2-0.
Next, the Eagles conclude the FGCU Kickoff Classic against Ball State at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 7.Â
2026 softball season tickets, mini plans and single game tickets are on sale now at
https://fgcuathletics.evenue.net/list/SB.Â
For more information on FGCU Softball, follow @FGCUSoftball on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit
fgcuathletics.com.
Postgame NotesÂ
– Head coach
Lindsay Fico earned her 1st win at FGCU and her 100th Division I win on Saturday night
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Julia Bacoulis struck out eight batters in her FGCU & college debut while only allowing two hits
– Bacoulis became the first FGCU freshman to record eight or more strikeouts in a game since Morgan White struck out ten on March 19, 2017 against Cleveland State.
– FGCU improved to 18-5 in the all-time series with Long Island with the win
– Meek tied her career high with four RBI
– Meek's triple was her first of the season and sixth career after hitting four in 2025
– Daniels' triple was her first of the season and second of her career
– Drijvers hit FGCU's first home run of 2026
– Daniels, Drijvers and Wiggs each scored a pair of runs
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