The No. 3-seeded FGCU softball team (29-21) defeated No. 5 seed Kennesaw State (26-29), 2-0, Friday afternoon to head into the loser's semifinal bracket against UNF.
The Eagles and the Ospreys went through two weather delays in the second inning before the game was halted and postponed until 8 am Saturday morning as UNF holds a 5-0 lead.
"Our kids came out in that first inning and then our defense along with Riley [Randolph] made it stand up," said head coach David Deiros about the KSU contest. "We just didn't give them too many chances to breathe until the last inning and then we withstood their best shot."
FGCU 2 | KSU 0
The Eagles got off to an early start right out of the gates scoring their two runs in the bottom of the first. Senior Kate Kelly ignited the offense with single to second as a grounder moved her into scoring position. Freshman of the Year Reedy Davenport then stepped in a roped an RBI double down the left-field line for the 1-0 lead.
Up next, sophomore Haley Morrell followed it up with a double of her own to left-center to give FGCU its 2-0 margin. Meanwhile, the two runs proved to be enough insurance for senior starting pitcher Riley Randolph. She limited the Owls to just two hits while giving up one walk, retiring the KSU side four different times.
The visitors threaten in the bottom of the seventh placing runners on first and second but a pair of pop flies to center and right closed out the game for the Eagles.
Randolph moves to 18-8, matching her single-season high win totals from 2017 and 2018. Kelly finished the game going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
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