SCF Sports: Big Wins for FGCU Softball

Big Wins for FGCU Softball

The FGCU softball team had a doubleheader with Holy Cross and Ball State.

Going into the doubleheader with a 10-9 record, the Eagles were struggling going back and forth between wins and losses. They lost 5-1 to UCF on Wednesday before going back on a two game winning streak beating Providence College 10-7 and 3-0 in the UCF Spring Fling Tournament before returning to a two game losing streak after a 5-3 loss to UCF and a 5-2 loss to Providence.

It looked like the streak was about to continue, but in this case, it did not happen.

Before FGCU played Holy Cross, I took the liberty of getting a sneak peak at Ball State as they played FIU earlier, although during the game, I got hit on the head twice by foul balls. I know they say "Stay alert for foul balls," but it came out of nowhere. Lucky for me, it didn't hurt too bad.

FIU beat Ball State 6-2 in an earlier afternoon game.

Before the game started, the announcer announced the reserves and starting lineups for both teams and then I sang the national anthem for the game.

None of the softball players honestly knew that I was doing it and were shocked really when they heard. Probably some of the softball beforehand were thinking "Is he gonna be like the usual guy that does the anthem for us?"

As I started, I could sense different feelings in body language in some of the FGCU softballs players and from the Holy Cross and Ball State players too.

When I finished the anthem, I got a big ovation from everyone and even junior Brittany McGuire shook my hand in shock and awe and said "Good job."

When I took my seat, people were already saying things like "Great job" and "Great singing."

Even some of the opposing teams' fans were amazed.

Senior right hander, Taylor Wade, was set to face the Crusaders. Wade was 4-4 prior to the game.

Her opposing pitcher was junior Katy Watson. Watson entered the game 0-2 prior to playing FGCU.

At the top of the first inning, the Crusaders scored the first run on an RBI double, but then in the bottom of the first, the Eagles took over. After walks to junior outfielder Natalie Lopez and sophomore first baseman Racquel Fournet, junior outfielder Erica Ward hit a three run home run to center. This was her first home run playing for FGCU.

By the second inning, the Crusaders started a five run inning to take a 6-3 lead, but then the Eagles bounced back with a five run inning of their own.

Junior outfielder Kelsey Huff started with a bunt single and then stole second before Lopez hit a single and stole second base herself. Fournet started the five run inning with an RBI single to dive in Huff. Then Ward drove in Lopez and Fournet on a triple before being thrown out at home. After a single, stolen base and advanced run from senior catcher Brianna Tourtillott, redshirt sophomore infielder Ashley Swiderski walked before junior infielder Brianne Innamorato drove in Tourtillott and Swiderski on a double to take a 8-6 lead.

In the third inning, the Crusaders tied the game 8-8 after a throwing error and a sac fly in which Ward made a spectacular diving catch for it, even though she did not get the runner out at home.

The Eagles would once again bounce back with a two run double by Fournet to make it 10-8.

Two scoreless innings later led to the bottom of the fifth. Senior infielder Jeanie Verderese started with a single to third and a stolen base before Huff made a sacrifice bunt to move Verderese and a Fournet RBI single increased the lead to 12-8.

The Crusaders scored a run in the top of the sixth, but a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth by junior designated player LuLu Newmark sealed the run support.

Sophomore left hander Riley Randolph came into the game and finished the seventh inning for the save. FGCU would win 12-8 for the final score.

In the end of the first game, it was Ward and Fournet who took the reigns for providing most of the runs. Ward went 3-4 with five RBIs including the three run homer and two run triple. Fournet was 3-3 with two singles, a double and four RBIs.

Innamorato went 1-3 with the two run double.

Huff and Swiderski had two hits and two runs each.

Walk count, the Crusaders walked seven batters (Swiderski (2), Verderese (2), Tourillott, Fournet and Lopez) while FGCU gave up one.

Pitching wise, Wade earned the win after pitching six innings while giving up nine runs (seven earned) on 13 hits with one walk and four strikeouts while Randolph earned a save after throwing one scoreless inning, giving up one hit and striking out two batters.

Before the second game started, head coach Dave Deiros saw me, gave me a pat on the shoulder and told me about the anthem. He said to me "Patrick, I've heard the anthem several times at FGCU for softball, and that is by far the best one I have heard this whole time. Great job."

At first I was thinking "Was he just saying that to be nice or was he serious?" It was hard for me to tell really with Deiros. But he sounded serious about it.

Game two went underway, but this time they played Ball State.

Randolph (6-2) was set to face junior Carolyn Wilmes (2-7).

In the first inning, FGCU had the bases loaded, bringing up Ward, but a knee injury took her out of the game for her at bat and sophomore Morgan Sutherland finished the at bat for Ward and was sent to the outfield to finish the game for Ward in right field. Sutherland did strike out, but Ward would get the strikeout instead of Sutherland. I never understood why really, but I just went with it. With the bases still loaded, Newmark popped a fly ball, but the Wilmes and the third baseman missed the ball and that brought in Huff for the first run.

The Cardinals would tie the game in the fourth inning after and RBI single by freshman Haley Dominique before Randolph struck out the final batter to end the top half of the inning.

The next half innings went scoreless until the bottom of the fifth.

After Huff grounded out for the first out, Lopez was up to bat and was hit by a pitch. Originally, the home plate umpire called it a foul because it looked like it hit the bat. After a discussion about the call, it was overturned and Lopez went to first. After a Fournet ground out that advanced Lopez to second, Sutherland drove a go ahead RBI single to center to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Innamorato started the inning with a lead-off double. After a ground out by Verderese that advanced Innamorato to third, Tourtillott added the insurance run by driving Innamorato with a sacrifice fly to left field before Huff grounded out to end the inning.

Despite giving up a double and a walk in the top of the seventh, Randolph got the final out on a ground ball to third and FGCU would win the game 3-1.

Sutherland went 2-2 with a double and the go ahead RBI single. She was the only player for FGCU with more than one hit.

Randolph got the win throwing a complete game, giving up one earned run on four hits while walking five batters and striking out four.

The Eagles are now 12-9 after those two wins while Holy Cross dropped to 2-5 while Ball State dropped to 7-14.

After the game, Tourtillott wanted a picture with me after the game with my "W" flag. Of course, I couldn't say "no" to something like that? It's impossible for me to say "no" to the athletes. So we got a photo with my flag.

In case some of the readers and non-sport fans do not know what the blue W means on the white flag, the W stands for "win," and for non-baseball fans that don't get the reference, the W is flown at Chicago Cubs baseball games when the cubs win their games, hence the saying heard by play-by-play analyst, Len Kasper, is "Cubs win. Cubs win. Cubs win," and the "Go Cubs Go" song is played afterwards.

Later on after the second game was completed, assistant coach Erika Bennett came to me and said "Nice job on the anthem," and I asked her "Did any of the softball players know I was doing the anthem?" She said "No one expected that you were doing it, not even the coaching staff knew. I was impressed."

I was astonished that I did something to make the 60 plus people in the stands cheer and get a strong ovation for what I did.

Nevertheless, FGCU won 12-8 against Holy Cross and 3-1 against Ball State, but the series with HC is not yet over for FGCU has to play one more game at 5 tomorrow night. Those two wins against HC and Ball State were crucial games, even if they were non-conference.

Also a brief update on Erica Ward: she did hurt her knee during the first inning of the game against Ball State, but she'll be OK from what I heard from her teammates.