FGCU Softball vs Lipscomb Day Two Recap

 Sophomore Marissa Mesiemore joined a unique group of pitchers, but the FGCU softball team (28-20, 13-7 A-SUN) lost a 1-0, 10-inning heartbreaker to Lipscomb (38-13-1, 16-4 A-SUN) in the regular season finale for both teams at the FGCU softball complex on Friday. Mesiemore went the distance in the circle, becoming just one of three players in the program's Division-I era to toss a complete game of at least 10 innings, joining Shelby Morgan (11 innings, 04/17/12) and Catherine McDaniel (10 innings, 04/03/11). She walked just two while allowing eight hits and striking out three.

"Marrisa was an absolute gem," FGCU head coach David Deiros said. "She was tough and matched (Lipscomb starter Mandy) Jordan pitch-for-pitch. She struggled a little bit in the middle of the game, but regrouped and got herself together."

Lipscomb scored the game's lone run after taking advantage of the international tiebreaker rule in the 10th. Hannah DeVault launched a sacrifice fly to center to score Graysen Gladden, who started the inning on second and advanced to third via a sacrifice bunt from Peyton Ward.

Jordan combined for 17 innings over the past two days to help Lipscomb claim the ASUN's regular season championship and the top seed in next week's postseason tournament. She had two complete games and a save while allowing just six hits over 17 innings against the Eagles.

Offensively, FGCU totaled just four hits and had 13 infield pop outs, including six in foul territory. With pinch runner Sammi Poehlman on second as the potential tying run, the Green and Blue had three straight infield pop outs in the bottom of the 10th, including one on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt with nobody out.

"That's just not going to win any games," Deiros said. "We had empty at bats, didn't move runners, didn't make solid contact and didn't make their defense make any plays. (Jordan) will win pitcher of the week, and she deserves it, but we made it really easy on her."

Mesiemore, meanwhile, didn't allow a leadoff runner to reach base until the seventh inning, but she stranded six runners prior to that. In the third, Lipscomb loaded the bases with two outs, but she forced a groundout to end the threat. The sixth inning featured her second 1-2-3 inning, but McKenna Batterton made a highlight reel catch while diving down the left field line into foul territory to end the inning.

In the eighth, Lipscomb put the first two runners on and Mesiemore had a 3-1 count on the next batter, but she induced three consecutive outs in part to a pair of nice defensive plays from Mikenzie Vaughn at third.

Taylor Bauman nearly ended the game in walk-off fashion the next half inning, but her deep line drive to left was caught on the warning track.

Notes
The loss was the fourth straight for the Green and Blue with two of those coming via international tiebreaker. They'll host the A-SUN tournament May 8-11 as the No. 3 seed, where they'll open up on Wednesday at 3 p.m. - likely against either against Stetson or North Florida, who they've won four of five against this year. The winner would face No. 2 seed Liberty at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. For the latest information on the tournament, visit here.

Mesiemore lowered her season ERA to 1.71 over 110.2 innings, which is sixth-best in the program's Division-I era. Her teammate, Riley Randolph holds the first (2019), second (2016) and fifth (2018) spots on the list. In fact, those two comprise one of just two duos in the Division-I era to have two of the top 10 single-season ERA's in the same season, joining Shelby Morgan (3rd) and Amanda Josie (9th) from 2012.

Including the three in the Division-I era, only seven players have pitched at least 10 innings in a game since the program's inception in 2003 - Rachel Edinger (twice), Dana Frantz, Melissa Geissler and Kelly Powe.