FGCU Softball: FGCU Invitational Day Three Recap

The FGCU softball team (5-4) split two games Sunday afternoon, falling to Lamar (3-8) in the morning 4-1 but bounced back and capped off the afternoon with a 5-0 win over Memphis (5-4).

"A great job all-around on the effort we gave in the second game to respond with a win," head coach David Deiros said. "We're still working on some facets of our game but it'll be interesting to see how we respond going on the road for the first time this year at FAU next weekend."

After Lamar took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, sophomore Haley Morrell responded with a solo shot to left but that's all the Eagles would get as they eventually fell, 4-1. In the second game of the afternoon, the offense woke up with five runs on seven hits, highlighted by freshman Kyleigh Taylor recording her first collegiate hit as a home run.

Game One:
The visitors jumped ahead in the first turning two hits into a pair of runs for the 2-0 advantage. In the bottom half, Morrell took a 1-1 pitch and smacked a home run to left-center to bring the Eagles within one. In the fourth, the Cardinals broke the contest open using four hits and one error to produce two runs.

FGCU had its chances at the plate but the Eagles would strand seven runners on the bags over the next three innings, including leaving the bases loaded twice in the fifth and seventh.

Sophomore Marissa Mesiemore gets tagged with the loss moving to 2-2 this season. The sophomore scattered seven hits in her 3.1 innings of work.

Game Two:
After a scoreless first inning, FGCU scratched a runner across home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Mikenzie Vaughn. In the process, it broke Memphis' 22.1 innings streak of not allowing a run through. Heading into the bottom of the fourth, Taylor launched her first collegiate hit over the left-center field wall to make it 2-0.

FGCU added two more runs in the fifth off two hits. Morrell drew a two-out walk as senior Racquel Fournet stepped in and laced a stand-up RBI triple to right-center. One batter later, sophomore Ahnie Jumper recorded her first hit to drive Fournet in. The Green and Blue's final run was produced the following inning off the bat of freshman McKenna Batterton. Going in as a pinch runner, senior Kate Kelly stole second and advanced to third on a single from sophomore Farley Callaghan. This allowed Batterton to hit a chopper to short, bringing in Kelly.

Meanwhile, senior Riley Randolph was in a zone, striking out seven batters through five frames. The senior ended the game recording at least one strikeout in six innings, finishing with 10 for the third time this season.

In the win, Randolph moves to 3-2 as she yielded seven hits while walking just one batter.

Up Next:
FGCU heads across Alligator Alley for the FAU Strike Out Cancer Tournament taking place Feb. 23-24 where they will face the hosts and UConn.