FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast softball (2-2) used a seven-run first inning and late insurance run to hold off Ball State (1-2), 8-7, on Saturday night at the FGCU Softball Complex.
Olivia Black had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, an RBI and a run scored.
Sietske Drijvers delivered the clutch sixth-inning RBI, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
Victoria Ash earned her first win of 2025 for the Eagles and
Julia Bacoulis tallied her first career save.
The Cardinals scored two in the top of the first off a walk, single and double. In the bottom half of the frame, Black started the Eagles off with an infield single to second base. A few pitches later, she stole second for her first stolen base of the year after swiping 38 bags in 2025. The next pitch, Drijvers doubled to right field, driving Black in. With two outs,
Parris Wiggs beat out an infield single to shortstop, but Drijvers never stopped running and scored from second to tie the game at 2-2.
Back-to-back four pitch walks to
Tiffany Meek and
Nikki Gibson loaded the bases. A Ball State error allowed
Ally Thompson to reach and Wiggs to score to give FGCU a 3-2 lead, and the floodgates opened for the Eagles. Three straight singles from
K'Mari Williams,
Kiki Daniels and Black added four more runs for a seven run first inning.
Ball State got a pair of runners on with one out in the second, prompting FGCU to go to
Victoria Ash out of the bullpen. One run crossed the plate, but Ash kept the lead at 7-3 with a strikeout to end the inning.
The Cardinals slowly battled back, getting consistent pitching in the circle after the tumultuous first inning. A two-run homer from Lindsey DeRoeck down the left field line in the top of the fifth cut the deficit to 7-5.
Bacoulis entered in the circle for the Eagles in the sixth and allowed a leadoff double, but recorded three outs with the runner on third to keep the two-run FGCU lead.
With the Green & Blue in need of an insurance run,
Sietske Drijvers delivered in the bottom of the sixth. Williams singled and Black drew a two-out walk before Drijvers laced the ball through the left side of the infield. Williams raced around third and beat the throw home to give the Eagles an 8-5 lead.
The Cardinals scored two unearned in the top of the seventh after an FGCU error, but Bacoulis got a strikeout swinging to earn the save on her birthday.
Next, the Eagles play their first midweek game of the season against Kansas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10 at the FGCU Softball Complex.
2026 softball season tickets, mini plans and single game tickets are on sale now at
https://fgcuathletics.evenue.net/list/SB.
For more information on FGCU Softball, follow @FGCUSoftball on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit
fgcuathletics.com.
