FORT MYERS, Fla. – Julia Bacoulis tossed a gem on Saturday night to propel Florida Gulf Coast (16-27, 10-7 ASUN) over Jacksonville (28-16, 12-5), 2-1, ending the Dolphins' seven-game winning streak. 

Bacoulis registered a single-game career high nine strikeouts to just four hits and crucially, walked only three. 

"Julia gave us a really gutsy performance in game two," head coach Lindsay Fico said. "She set the tone from the first inning and our offense put up enough runs to keep Jacksonville at bay. I'm hoping we can string together enough timely hits to take the series tomorrow."

The Eagles got on the scoreboard early in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Sietske Drijvers drew a leadoff walk and Presley Smith singled her to third before a sacrifice fly from Mackenzie Leiti brought Drijvers in to score.

Bacoulis got her first strikeout of the day a half inning prior, and kept rolling. She struck out the side in the second inning, becoming the first Eagles' pitcher to strike out the side in 2026. In the bottom half of the second, Olivia Black singled and stole second base. The steal was the 97th of her career, tying the FGCU Division I career record.

FGCU gave Bacoulis all the cushion she needed in the bottom of the third inning. Amidst JU swapping Reese Wells and Margaret Jenkins at pitcher and left field (four such changes occurred, including three in the third inning), Smith and Sophie Wylie each hit doubles down the left field line, and Wylie's scored Smith.

The Dolphins scratched their lone run across in the fourth inning on a leadoff triple and sacrifice fly. Bacoulis buckled down in the final three frames, tallying a strikeout in the fifth and seventh, and two in the sixth. With the tying run in scoring position after a walk and wild pitch and one out in the seventh, she induced a flyout to right field and groundout to first base to end the game.

FGCU and Jacksonville will play the rubber match at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 19.

2026 softball single game tickets are on sale 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.

Postgame Notes
– Bacoulis' nine strikeouts are her single-game career high, passing the eight strikeouts she had against Long Island in her debut start on Feb. 6
– Bacoulis spun her third career complete game en route to the win
– Bacoulis struck out eight different JU hitters, including seven starters and a pinch hitter, fanning all but two batters she faced over the course of the game
– Black tied the FGCU Division I career stolen base record with her 97th in the bottom of the second inning
 – Smith, Wylie and Black had multi-hit games
– The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Dolphins 43-16 and are 24-5 at home.
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