CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Chris Diaz was on fire Saturday night, striking out seven in a complete game shutout as FGCU evened the series at Queens with a 5-0 win.
The right-handed pitcher yielded just three hits and held the Royals (11-27, 7-10 ASUN) to no real scoring threat as Diaz (2-2) delivered his second career complete game shutout.
Cayden Hessemyer hit his first career home run, sending the ball over the centerfield fence for a three-run shot. This came shortly after
Javier Gorostola's RBI single in the fourth, putting the Eagles up 4-0.
Jon Embury drove in another run in the fifth to add the final run to FGCU's tally.
Jacob Grimes was responsible for two of the Royals' three hits in the game while Joey Ruller (2-7) was charged with the loss as he pitched seven innings, striking out five while allowing four earned runs.
In the fourth inning,
Evan Dempsey doubled down the right-field line, setting the stage for Embury's single. Gorostola followed with an RBI single to left field, scoring Dempsey. Hessemyer then delivered a three-run home run to center field, bringing home Embury and Gorostola.
The following inning, Drew Seidel walked and eventually scored on a play that involved a fielding error by the left fielder on Embury's hit. This extended the Eagles' lead to 5-0 through five innings. Diaz's pitching ensured they maintained their lead throughout, resulting in a final score of 5-0.
FGCU now looks to claim the series in Sunday's rubber game. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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Game Notes:
- Team - Achieved a season-high with 1 complete game pitched.
- Hessemyer - Drove in 3 runs, surpassing his career average of 0.36.
- Hessemyer - Achieved 4 fielding assists, exceeding his season average of 0.92.
- Hessemyer - Batted in 3 runs, higher than his season average of 0.44.
- Diaz - Recorded a career-high and season-high total of 108 pitches.
- Diaz - Recorded 7 ground outs, setting a season high.
- Diaz - Registered 7 strikeouts, surpassing his season average of 1.19.
-
Wilfred Gonzalez - Recorded 3 fielding assists, exceeding his season average of 1.53.
- Diaz recorded his second career complete game shutout Saturday night, matching
Evan Dempsey, Chris Sale, Michael Murray and Chris Hansen for the second-most in program history.
