FGCU Softball: Clearwater Invitational Recap Day One

The FGCU softball team (22-4) began their final tournament road trip in the Clearwater Invitational as they defeated Chattanooga (13-15) and St. Joseph (8-9) both by a score of 2-1. With the wins, The Eagles are now 2-1 against the Mocs and 1-1 against the Hawks.

In game one against the Mocs, the Eagles, who were the away team for the tournament as head coach Dave Derios sent junior Riley Randolph to face Allison Swinford. In the second inning, the Mocs scored the first run off of the Eagles on an RBI double from Devan Brown.

Swinford held the Eagles scoreless until the sixth inning. Starting with a infield single from senior Kelsey Huff, junior Racquel Fournet would tie the with an RBI double driving in Huff. With Fournet reaching third, junior Brooke Clemens would send Fournet home run with a sacrifice that would be the decider for the game.

Randolph would get her ninth win after throwing 5.1 innings, giving up one run on seven hit while striking out four batters.

Freshman Taylor Bauman, who entered the game in the sixth inning, earned her 13th save of the season, threw 1.2 innings, giving up one hit and striking out one batter.

Sophomore Kate Kelly had the Eagles only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 while Huff and Fournet had the other two hits.

Senior Ashley Swiderski added a stolen base to the mix.

For game two, Deiros sent freshman Marissa Mesiemore to pitch against St. Joseph's Ashley Ventura.

The Eagles would score first. After Huff singled and stole second and Fournet singled bringing Huff to third, junior Bri Bennett, despite going 0-for-3 in the game, drove in Huff for an RBI groundout.

By the fourth inning, the Hawks would then tie the game on a fielding error.

The Eagles would then get the momentum they needed to win the game. After senior Erica Ward began with a lead-off walk, sophomore Morgan White, who entered the game as a pitcher in the sixth inning, provided a sacrifice bunt to move Ward to second. After Kelly hit an infield single, Huff would then reach on a fielder's choice before was Ward called out trying to go to third bringing up Fournet to drive Kelly in for the game-winning run after a fielding error on the Hawks.

Mesiemore was credited with a no-decision after throwing 5.1 innings. Mesiemore gave up the lone Hawks run, unearned, on three hits while walking two batters and striking out three.

White was credited with her fourth win of the season after throwing 1.2 innings while giving up one hit and striking out three.

Kelly had the Eagles only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3.

Huff, Fournet, Clemens, Swiderski and senior Brittany McGuire had one hit each. Huff also added a stolen base.

"We were undermanned today and I thought our kids did a fabulous job of toughing it out," said Deiros. "A couple of really close games under some really difficult circumstances, I couldn't be any more proud. Our pitching staff was exceptional, our defense did a really good job and we came up with a couple of timely hits when we needed them. We're back at it tomorrow still with a chance to win the tournament. That's what we tried to set ourselves up on day one and we're looking forward to our two games tomorrow."

Up next, the Eagles return to action as they play Maine at 2:30 P.M. followed by Lehigh at 4:45 P.M.