Now we fast forward to FGCU facing Wright State. This was the first time both teams met this season. Deiros would send freshman Marissa Mesiemore to the mound to pitch for FGCU while head coach Laura Matthews sent senior Ashley Sharp (0-7, 5.48 ERA) to counter for Wright State.
At the top of the first, Mesiemore struggled briefly. Senior Honnah Susor began with a lead off single. After sophomore Rebekah Lenos reached on a fielder's choice, back-to-back singles were hit by senior Macey Gunther and sophomore Lauren Deitrick to load the bases for the Raiders, but thanks to a strikeout and a lineout, Mesiemore was able to breathe.
The Eagles would strike first in the run columns at the bottom of the first. After senior Kelsey Huff was hit by a pitch and senior Natalie Lopez was walked on four straight pitches, junior Racquel Fournet drove in Huff for the first run with an RBI single. After junior Brooke Clemens reached first on a fielder's choice, senior Ashley Swiderski would drive in Fournet for the second run on another RBI single.
With the bases loaded again for the Eagles, after senior Brittany McGuire was hit by a pitch, freshman Farley Callaghan drove in Clemens and Swiderski with a bases-loaded two RBI double.
"I felt really good and it was definitely needed," said Callaghan on her double. "We weren't off to that slow of a start, but it was definitely a moment changer to get a couple of extra runs on the board."
Mesiemore remained calm, cooled and collected through the next three innings despite briefly struggling again in the third inning.
At the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles brought in another run. Sophomore Kate Kelly, who came in as a pinch hitter for freshman Haley Morrell, began with a pinch hit lead off single to open the bottom half of the inning. After another Lopez single, Fournet had no trouble yet again as she drove Kelly in for the fifth run on an RBI single.
In the fifth, the Eagles would add another run to the scoreboard. McGuire would start with a one-pitch lead-off single before Deiros had freshman Ahnie Jumper pinch run. After senior Emily Demurius reached first on a fielding error and a double steal occurred, junior Bri Bennett, who drove in the game-winning run against Stony Brook on day one of the tournament, hit a sacrifice fly and bring in Jumper for the sixth run.
Mesiemore had no problem to the end as the Eagles won 6-0. Mesiemore would earn with her sixth win of the season after throwing her first collegiate complete game shutout, giving up three hits while walking one and striking out one.
"I felt good about it," said Mesiemore on her shutout win. "My defense for sure had my back tonight, and we made a lot of good plays."
Sharp would be credited with her eighth loss of the season after throwing six innings and giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits while two batters and striking out five.
Fournet and McGuire had two hits each in the game. Fournet was 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored while McGuire was 2-for-2.
Callaghan was 1-for-3 with the two-RBI double.
Lopez, Swiderski and Kelly also had a hit each.
During the game, athletes from other sports were in attendance including sophomores goalkeeper Melissa Weck and defender Lindsay Patton from the women's soccer team, sophomore Marcelo Tebet from the men's tennis team, redshirt junior Jay Hayes and junior Eric Gonzalez from the baseball team and senior Ashley Glickert and freshman Kayla Whetstone from the beach volleyball team. Glickert and Whetstone competed in a bottle opening challenge during the fourth inning.
Even FGCU alum and former softball player Brianna Tourtillott was in attendance.
Fast forward to FGCU vs Southern Illinois. Deiros would send junior Riley Randolph to pitch for the Eagles while head coach Kerri Blaylock sent senior Savanna Dover to pitch for the Salukis to counter Riley.
After giving up two hits in the first inning, Randolph was able to fight through the first, but it was the same way for Dover as she fought through the first. Dover kept the Eagles not just scoreless, but hitless too until the bottom of the fourth when Fournet hit the Eagles first hit with a single to center. Nonetheless, it did not stop Dover.
Randolph and Dover continued fighting neck and neck in pitching until Dover finally buckled at the bottom of the sixth inning. The Eagles would start with three straight infield singles from Kelly, Huff and Lopez to load the bases. After Fournet lined out to second, Clemens would drive Kelly in for the lone run of the game after reaching on a fielder's choice before Randolph closed the door in the seventh for a 1-0 Eagle win.
"I was just telling myself I had to put the ball on the ground so the run could score," said Clemens.
Randolph was credited with the win after throwing a two-hit shutout while walking one batter and striking out four.
Dover, despite a valiant effort, was credited with her fourth loss after throwing six innings, giving up one run on four hits while walking one batter and striking out one.
"Two really good performances in the circle today," said head coach David Deiros. "Marissa tossed a complete game to get the job done and Riley really stepped up after giving up a hard hit in the first. It was a fun game on both sides with good defense and both teams played really well. It was just a matter of who was going to get a break and we got one in the bottom of the sixth. Congratulations to us, we're still undefeated and tomorrow we will go out to try to win the tournament."
With the win, the Eagles are now 3-1 against the Salukis.
Up next, the Eagles wrap up the invitational with one final game against U-Conn at noon.
Sophomore Morgan White will be on the mound to pitch for FGCU against U-Conn's Jill Stockley.
Before to FGCU playing against U-Conn, Wright State and Stony Brook will play in one final game at 9:30 A.M.
The game against U-Conn will be dubbed as a pink out, so marketing is encouraging fans to wear pink to the game.
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