Despite dropping the series, the FGCU softball team (28-9, 3-3 A-SUN) were able to get the win in the final game of the series against USC Upstate (24-13, 5-4 A-SUN). The Eagles dropped the first two games (1-5, 2-4) before winning the third game (4-3). With the win, the Eagles are now 11-21 against the Spartans.
"Great job by our team to salvage the series with the game three win," said head coach David Deiros. "We played very well and just overcame some seeing-eye bloopers with some clutch hitting of our own. Everyone who came to the plate in the seventh had strong at-bats. Special kudos to our pitching staff who combined to pitch a tremendous game."
In game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph was set to face Christina Biggerstaff. The Spartans scored first on a stolen base in the first inning. By fourth inning, Randolph would then give up a home run and a sacrifice fly before giving up one more run after a Spartan RBI single in the fifth.
The Eagles would get one run on the board at the top of the sixth as senior Ashley Swiderski hit her fourth home run before another Spartan home run occurred in the bottom half.
Randolph would be credited with her third loss of the season after throwing six innings, giving up five runs on five hits while walking one and striking out four.
Senior Kelsey Huff was only player for the Eagles with more than one hit in the game as she went 2-for-3.
Sophomore Kate Kelly also added one hit.
In game two, freshman Marissa Mesiemore was sent to face Erin Hill.
Swiderski clocked her fifth home run of the season and the second homer in the series to start the inning. Junior Brooke Clemens would add a second run on the board in the third after hitting an RBI double to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
The Spartans would tie the game in the third on an RBI single and a double steal, but did not stop there as they gained the lead on a sacrifice fly and added an RBI single in the fifth.
Mesiemore would be credited with her third loss after throwing four innings, giving up three runs on four hits while walking one and striking out three.
Fournet and Swiderski had three hits each while freshman Farley Callaghan had two hits. Huff, Clemens and seniors Lulu Newmark and Brianne Innamorato had one hit each.
Going into the final game, Randolph was sent to face Biggerstafff again. The Spartans would score first after a two-RBI double.
The Spartans kept the Eagles scoreless until the top of the fourth. After Huff reached first on an error and stole second, Fournet would hit a two-run homer, her fifth of the season, to tie the game, but the Spartans regained the lead on an RBI single to make it 3-2.
Going into the top of the seventh for one last chance to get the lead and the win, Fournet would draw a lead-off walk to start the inning, but Swiderski would turn a double play leave the bases empty for Clemens. With a 1-2 count, Clemens would provide a spark for the Eagles after hitting a two-out double to left. After senior Emily Demurius was sent to pinch run for Clemens, senior Brittany McGuire would hit a pinch hit two-run shot to give the Eagles the lead and the win.
Randolph would get a no-decision after throwing 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on four hits while walking two batters and striking out three.
Mesiemore would earn her ninth win of the season after throwing two-thirds of a scoreless inning.
Freshman Taylor Bauman secured her 14th save of the season after throwing one scoreless inning. Bauman is now two saves from breaking the NCAA record for most saves in a single season.
Fournet, Clemens, and McGuire were the only Eagles that had a hit.
The Eagles will take a break from conference and face FIU in a doubleheader.
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