For the A-SUN Conference Softball Tournament, four teams remain in the tournament: #1 Kennesaw, #2 FGCU, #3 Upstate and #4 Lipscomb. The two teams that have been eliminated are #5 Jacksonville and #6 Stetson. Stetson is the host of this years conference tournament.
After awaitin the winner of the first round game between #3 seed Upstate and #6 seed and host Stetson, the FGCU softball team (39-15), who is the #2 seed in the A-SUN Conference Softball Tournament, took on Upstate (32-18) in a winning fashion as they won 6-1 at the Patricia Wilson Field in Deland, FL, hosted by Stetson. With the win, the Eagles are now 12-21 against the Spartans and advanced to the winners bracket of the tournament.
Deiros sent junior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Riley Randolph to the mound while Spartans head coach, Chris Hawkins sent junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Christina Biggerstaff to counter against Randolph.
Despite walking junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Ansley Gilstrap and hitting junior Kristen Wright in the first inning, Randolph was able to escape out of a jam with two strikeouts to senior A-SUN Player of the Year and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Karla Beasley and junior A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Brittany Case. Biggerstaff was just as effective as she got a 1-2-3 inning.
At the top of the second, there was controversial call with the lead-off batter. Freshman Hannah Davis was what looked like being hit by a pitch, but home plate umpire Greg Muir ruled it a strike and then Davis flew out to center. Now with the call in a unbiased perspective, Davis should have sent to first because she was hit by a pitch from my view, so Muir, in an honest opinion, made a very bad call. Obviously I want FGCU to win, but seeing bad calls like that from any umpire is not good for the A-SUN. That's just me though.
Resuming with the game, the Eagles would get on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Brittany McGuire opened the floodgates with a line drive solo home run. This was McGuire's fourth home run of the season. After senior Ashley Swiderski reached first on a fielding error and senior Brianne Innamorato drew a one-out walk, freshman Haley Morrell would hit a double to right center, bringing in Swiderski, but was unable to bring Innamorato in as she was tagged out at home plate.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles would add more runs to the scoreboard beginning with a lead-off single off the bat of McGuire. After Deiros sent senior Emily Demurius to pinch run for McGuire, junior Brooke Clemens would draw a one out walk, bringing up Innamorato. With a 1-1 count, the Mullica Hill native hit a three-run shot to left to make it 5-0 FGCU. This was Innamorato's fourth home run of the year and it signaled the end for Biggerstaff. Hawkins would send freshman Caylie Van Auken to finish off the inning.
Even after giving up a lead-off double in the fifth, Randolph seemed unfazed, but in the sixth, the Spartans finally got on the scoreboard. After a one-out single off the bat of Wright, Beasley would reach first on a McGuire fielding error. A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Logan Morris would then hit a fielder's choice sending Wright to third while Beasley was called out at second. The Spartans attempted a double steal with Wright stealing home and putting the Spartans on the board while Morris went back to first safely before Case struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Eagles would add one more run to the board as Clemens would clock her second home run of the year with a shot to left.
After giving up a one out single, Randolph, still seemingly unfazed, was able to get out of the seventh striking out sophomore Erin Hill before getting senior Kendsey Chappelear to pop out on the first pitch to end the game.
Randolph earned her 18th win of the season, putting her record at 18-6. Randolph threw three-hit complete, giving up one unearned run while walking two batters and striking out six.
Biggerstaff was credited with her 10th loss of the season, putting her record at 16-10. Biggerstaff threw 3.1 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits while walking two and striking out three.
Van Auken gave up one run on three hits while striking out one batter in 2.2 innings of relief.
McGuire was 2-for-3 at the plate with the solo home run and a single.
Clemens was 1-for-1 with the solo shot, a walk and two runs scored.
Innamorato was 1-for-2 with yhe three-run shot and a walk.
Morrell was 1-for-3 with the RBI double.
Sophomore Kate Kelly and senior Erica Ward also contributed to the game. Kelly was 1-for-2 with a single and a stolen base while Ward, who came in to pinch hit for Kelly, hit a double to right center.
"Great job today by our entire team," stated head coach David Deiros. "Riley showed lots of guts in the circle and Brittany, Haley and Bri had some great swings."
With the loss, the Spartans were sent to the losers bracket to face JU.
Going into the following game, #1 seed Kennesaw State (37-15) would face #5 seed Jacksonville (27-28). Head coach Erica Ayers would send sophomore Alyssa Bilodeau to pitch for the Dolphins while A-SUN Coach of the Year, Pete D'Amour, sent A-SUN All-Conference First Team member and A-SUN Pitcher of the Year Alley Cutting to pitch for Kennesaw.
The Dolphins would get on the board first in the first inning. After a one-out single from senior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Danielle Baker, senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Heather Roberts would hit a two-run shot to center, giving the Dolphins an early 2-0 lead, however, the Owls would then take the lead. After back-to-back singles from sophomore A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Olivia Tamewitz and A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Alexa Solorzano, Solorzano would steal second while Tamewitz scored on a throwing error. Junior A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Kira Czyrklis would then send Solorzano home with an RBI single. After A-SUN All-Conference First Team and and A-SUN Freshman of the Year Patricia Awald drew a walk and junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Maddie Roth would hit a single to load the bases. After senior Nicole Winkles grounded out, redshirt junior Jessie Mullen would give the Owls the lead with an RBI groundout.
The Owls would add two more runs in the bottom of the third. After a two out single from Roth, Winkles would drive a two-run shot to right center. This was Winkles' seventh home run of the season.
At the top of the fourth, the Dolphins would cut the deficit to being down two runs. After a two out walk drawn by A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Hannah Roberts, senior Jordan Daniels would hit a single of her own. After sophomore Makenzie Buss was hit by a pitch to load the bases, senior Kristen Griffith would draw a bases-loaded walk bringing in Roberts to make it 5-3. The Owls would then extend the lead. Beginning with a one out single from sophomore Andrea Summey before advancing to third on a ground out and a wild pitch, Solorzano would send Summey home with an RBI double before Czyrklis hit a two-run shot to left center to make it 8-3, which would end up to be the final score. This was Czyrklis' eighth home run of the season.
Cutting would earn her 15th win of the season, putting her record at 15-8. Cutting threw four innings, giving up three runs on six hits.
Redshirt senior Abigail Green would earn her first save after throwing three scoreless innings, giving up two hits while striking out five batters.
Bilodeau was credited with her 12th loss of the season, putting her at 15-12. Bilodeau did not complete one inning after giving up three runs on three hits.
Sophomore Seana Mora threw 3.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits while walking one batter.
Freshman Maddie Kaufman threw 2.1 scoreless innings while giving up four hits.
Seven Owls had 2 hits each: Tamewitz (2-for-4, one run scored, one stolen base), Solorzano (2-for-4, one RBI), Czrklis (2-for-4, one home run, three RBIs), Awald (2-for-3, one walk), Winkles (2-for-3, one home run, two RBIs) and Summey (2-for-3, one run scored).
For the Dolphins, senior Allie McCourt and He. Roberts had two hits each. Baker, senior Madison Ragan, senior Jordan Daniels and Buss had one hit each.
With the loss, the Spartans and the Dolphins were sent to the losers bracket and played later at 5:30 P.M. while the Hatters faced the Bison at 3 P.M.
In the first game of the losers bracket, Lipscomb would beat Stetson 4-1, eliminating the Hatters from the tournament. The Hatters would finish their season 26-25.
“We were really disappointed yesterday. That was probably my biggest message to them. It wasn’t anger, it was just disappointment.We were prepared coming in. We felt as good of an energy coming into the tournament as I’ve felt in a while and felt like we had been playing pretty well as of late, but we came out tentative and unsure at the plate," said Lipscomb softball head coach Kristin Ryman. “Pitching-wise, we weren’t sharp. We made some uncharacteristic defensive mistakes. Nothing was really going our way. I told them, we have to come out, set the tone better, and we’ve got to fight.”
Senior Chloe Yeager would earn her 10th win of the season after throwing a six-hit complete game giving up one unearned run and striking out four batters.
“I thought she threw great. She did exactly what we needed her to do. Getting a complete game out of her was really big so that some of our other pitchers could rest," said Ryman on Yeager. "She’s just that pitcher that gives teams fits, keeps people off balance, and just moves the ball. She’s not a strikeout pitcher, but I thought the defense did a great job behind her. She had their number all day.”
Junior Jordan Fortel was 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI, senior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Caitlin Plocheck was 3-for-4 with a run scored, sophomore Peyton Ward was 1-for-1 with two walks and an RBI, and senior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Abby Fenichel was 2-or-4 with a run scored.
Sophomore Hannah Devault finished 2-for-3 with a two-run homer she hit to left center. It was Devault's fifth home run of the season.
“I thought the whole middle of our lineup hit the ball well. Hannah obviously was the big spark with the home run early in the game. Jordan Fortel was 4-for-4 and had a great game. Plocheck had a great game. Peyton Ward had some key at-bats. Abby was on base a lot.”
In the other game, Upstate defeated JU 2-0. Hill would earn her 10th win of the season after throwing a three-hit shutout with three strikeouts. The Dolphins would finish their season 27-29.
"It was a tough day at the ballpark for us. We came out swinging in the first game and just weren't able to keep Kennesaw State from scoring. The second game, [USC Upstate pitcher] Erin Hill kept us off balance and we just couldn't muster enough offense to get it done," stated head coach Erica Ayers following the Dolphins' second game of the day."
"I'm extremely grateful for everything the seniors gave to this program for four years and everything they gave us this year. Team 16 will have a special place in my heart forever. While I'm heartbroken this season is over, I'm excited for the future of Dolphin Softball and to get to work on Team 17."
With the loss, Stetson, the host of the tournament, and JU would be the first two teams eliminated from the tournament.
The Eagles will face Kennesaw tomorrow at 12:30 P.M. while Lipscomb and Upstate play at 3 P.M.
If Lipscomb or Upstate lose tomorrow, then they will be third team eliminated from the tournament. In addition, if Upstate were to lose, they will not only be eliminated from the tournament, but will not be defending the A-SUN Conference Championship and end their final season in the A-SUN before moving to the Big South Conference.
If the Eagles lose to Kennesaw, then they will be sent to the losers bracket and try to avoid elimination.
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Showing posts with label FGCU Softball 2018. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FGCU Softball 2018. Show all posts
FGCU Softball: A-SUN Conference Tournament Update 1
Day one of the A-SUN Conference Tournament has begun with two games: #3 seed Upstate vs. #6 seed Stetson, and #4 seed Lipscomb vs. #5 Jacksonville.
Upstate (32-17) and Stetson (26-24) played the first game to open the conference tournament.
Upstate head Coach Chris Hawkins sent sophomore Erin Hill to pitch while Stetson's head coach, Frank Griffin, sent A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Jaime Tino to pitch
The Spartans began the game on the scoreboard first in the first inning. Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Ansley Gilstrap began with a lead-off walk. After senior A-SUN Player of the Year and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Karla Beasley drew another Spartans walk, A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Logan Morris would clock a home run to left center to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead. This was Morris' sixth home run of the season. Tino was then pulled out after one inning, signaling Griffin to send junior Tori Perkins to the mound
The Hatters would soon cut the deficit to one run in the third inning. After a lead-off infield single off the bat of A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Kasey Fava, who then stole second, senior Maggie Fritts would hit a single of her own, sending Fava to third. Sophomore Molly McLaughlin would drive in Fava with an RBI ground out. Following another single from the bat of junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Ashly Smith, A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Devin Lewis would bring in Fritts on a sacrifice fly. The Spartans would increase the lead after a solo shot off the bat of Morris again. This was her seventh home run of the season and her first multi-home run game of the season.
The Spartans would continue to add to the lead in the fourth inning. After three straight one-out singles from junior Megan Obier, senior Kendsey Chappelear and Gilstrap, junior Kristen Wright would send Obier in to score on a bases-loaded single while loading the bases again. Beasley would then hit a sacrifice fly, bringing in Chappelear. After a double steal from Gilstrap and Wright, Morris would send the duo home with a two-run single.
Before the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans sent junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Christina Biggerstaff to the mound to pitch where she struck out three batters to start the inning. The Spartans would add one final run. Before the bottom of the fifth, another pitching change was made by the Hatters as senior Chelsea Hostetler came into pitch. After back-to-back singles from junior Kayla Hussey and Obier before a double steal occurred, Wright would send Hussey home off of a fielding error. The Hatters were unable to score after the Spartans final run scored. The Spartans would end up winning 9-2.
Hill would earn a no-decision after throwing three innings, giving up two runs on four hits while walking one batter and striking out one.
Biggerstaff would earn her 16th win of the season after throwing four scoreless innings, giving up one while walking two batters and striking out six.
Tino would be credited with her eighth loss of the season, putting her record at 9-8. Tino would throw one inning, giving up three runs on three hits while walking two and striking out one.
Morris would finish the game 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs.
Obier and Hussey would go 2-for-3 each. Gilstrap, Wright, Chappelear, junior A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Brittany Case and freshman Hannah Davis had one hit each.
With the loss, the Hatters will play in the losers bracket. The Spartans will now face FGCU (37-15).
In the next game, Jacksonville (27-27) played Lipscomb (32-16).
For JU, head coach Erica Ayers would send sophomore Alyssa Bilodeau to the mound while head coach Kristin Ryman sent junior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Mandy Jordan to counter.
The Dolphins would get on the scoreboard first in the second inning. Senior Jordan Daniels would begin with a lead-off walk. After sophomore Makenzie Buss reached first on a fielding error, both would perform a double steal before Daniels scored the first run.
In the fourth inning, the Dolphins would add to their 1-0 lead. After Buss drew a two-out walk before stealing second, senior Kristen Griffith would follow with a walk of her own bringing up freshman Serena Quinata. Quinata would clock a three-run shot to left, giving the Dolphins a 4-0 lead. This was the signal for Ryman pulled Jordan and sent senior Chloe Yeager to pitch the fifth inning.
Meanwhile, Ayers continued strongly on the mound with a majority of her outs being ground outs.
In the fifth inning, the Dolphins would add another run on the scoreboard. After senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Heather Roberts hit a one out single, A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Hannah Roberts would send her older sister to score to make it 5-0 JU.
Although having the Bisons draw two walks and hit a couple of singles, Ayers seemed unfazed after getting out of the fifth inning and sixth inning.
In the seventh inning, the Dolphins would add two final runs to the scoreboard. Senior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Danielle Baker would begin with a lead-off single. After He. Roberts drew a walk, senior Madison Ragan would drive in Baker with an RBI double. Daniels would then hit a sacrifice fly, driving in He. Roberts for the final run.
Although she gave up two singles, Ayers was able to shut the door on the Bison and get the Dolphins a 7-0 win. Ayers would get her 16th win of the season after throwing a four-hit shutout while walking two and striking out two.
"I'm excited for the kids. They put a solid softball game together; Alyssa had good stuff tonight. She got ahead in the count and really gave us a chance keeping [Lipscomb] to four hits. It was just an overall team effort," stated Ayers.
Jordan would earn her eighth loss, putting her record at 15-8. Jordan threw four innings, giving up four runs on one hit while walking six batters and striking out three.
"I give Jordan credit, she got us started scoring. She read the defense like we teach them to and she did a good job. It's always good to score first," added Ayers.
Baker, He. Roberts, Ha. Roberts, Ragan, Quinata and senior Kamille Larrabee had one hit each.
"Serena gave us some breathing room, but that doesn't happen if Makenzie Buss and Kristen Griffith don't also have great at-bats and draw those walks," credited Ayers. "To be patient like that and have those three great at bats was huge. We were excited for Serena, for the team, for the breathing room. With a four-run lead, one swing of the bat can't win it for the other team."
With the win, the Dolphins will face Kennesaw State (36-15) in the next round while Lipscomb joins Stetson in the losers bracket.
Up next, FGCU will face Upstate at 10 A.M. while Kennesaw plays JU at 12:30 P.M.
Upstate (32-17) and Stetson (26-24) played the first game to open the conference tournament.
Upstate head Coach Chris Hawkins sent sophomore Erin Hill to pitch while Stetson's head coach, Frank Griffin, sent A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Jaime Tino to pitch
The Spartans began the game on the scoreboard first in the first inning. Junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Ansley Gilstrap began with a lead-off walk. After senior A-SUN Player of the Year and A-SUN All-Conference First Team member Karla Beasley drew another Spartans walk, A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Logan Morris would clock a home run to left center to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead. This was Morris' sixth home run of the season. Tino was then pulled out after one inning, signaling Griffin to send junior Tori Perkins to the mound
The Hatters would soon cut the deficit to one run in the third inning. After a lead-off infield single off the bat of A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Kasey Fava, who then stole second, senior Maggie Fritts would hit a single of her own, sending Fava to third. Sophomore Molly McLaughlin would drive in Fava with an RBI ground out. Following another single from the bat of junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Ashly Smith, A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Devin Lewis would bring in Fritts on a sacrifice fly. The Spartans would increase the lead after a solo shot off the bat of Morris again. This was her seventh home run of the season and her first multi-home run game of the season.
The Spartans would continue to add to the lead in the fourth inning. After three straight one-out singles from junior Megan Obier, senior Kendsey Chappelear and Gilstrap, junior Kristen Wright would send Obier in to score on a bases-loaded single while loading the bases again. Beasley would then hit a sacrifice fly, bringing in Chappelear. After a double steal from Gilstrap and Wright, Morris would send the duo home with a two-run single.
Before the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans sent junior A-SUN All-Conference Second Team member Christina Biggerstaff to the mound to pitch where she struck out three batters to start the inning. The Spartans would add one final run. Before the bottom of the fifth, another pitching change was made by the Hatters as senior Chelsea Hostetler came into pitch. After back-to-back singles from junior Kayla Hussey and Obier before a double steal occurred, Wright would send Hussey home off of a fielding error. The Hatters were unable to score after the Spartans final run scored. The Spartans would end up winning 9-2.
Hill would earn a no-decision after throwing three innings, giving up two runs on four hits while walking one batter and striking out one.
Biggerstaff would earn her 16th win of the season after throwing four scoreless innings, giving up one while walking two batters and striking out six.
Tino would be credited with her eighth loss of the season, putting her record at 9-8. Tino would throw one inning, giving up three runs on three hits while walking two and striking out one.
Morris would finish the game 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs.
Obier and Hussey would go 2-for-3 each. Gilstrap, Wright, Chappelear, junior A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Brittany Case and freshman Hannah Davis had one hit each.
With the loss, the Hatters will play in the losers bracket. The Spartans will now face FGCU (37-15).
In the next game, Jacksonville (27-27) played Lipscomb (32-16).
For JU, head coach Erica Ayers would send sophomore Alyssa Bilodeau to the mound while head coach Kristin Ryman sent junior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Mandy Jordan to counter.
The Dolphins would get on the scoreboard first in the second inning. Senior Jordan Daniels would begin with a lead-off walk. After sophomore Makenzie Buss reached first on a fielding error, both would perform a double steal before Daniels scored the first run.
In the fourth inning, the Dolphins would add to their 1-0 lead. After Buss drew a two-out walk before stealing second, senior Kristen Griffith would follow with a walk of her own bringing up freshman Serena Quinata. Quinata would clock a three-run shot to left, giving the Dolphins a 4-0 lead. This was the signal for Ryman pulled Jordan and sent senior Chloe Yeager to pitch the fifth inning.
Meanwhile, Ayers continued strongly on the mound with a majority of her outs being ground outs.
In the fifth inning, the Dolphins would add another run on the scoreboard. After senior A-SUN All-Conference First Team and A-SUN All-Academic Team member Heather Roberts hit a one out single, A-SUN All-Freshman Team member Hannah Roberts would send her older sister to score to make it 5-0 JU.
Although having the Bisons draw two walks and hit a couple of singles, Ayers seemed unfazed after getting out of the fifth inning and sixth inning.
In the seventh inning, the Dolphins would add two final runs to the scoreboard. Senior A-SUN All-Academic Team member Danielle Baker would begin with a lead-off single. After He. Roberts drew a walk, senior Madison Ragan would drive in Baker with an RBI double. Daniels would then hit a sacrifice fly, driving in He. Roberts for the final run.
Although she gave up two singles, Ayers was able to shut the door on the Bison and get the Dolphins a 7-0 win. Ayers would get her 16th win of the season after throwing a four-hit shutout while walking two and striking out two.
"I'm excited for the kids. They put a solid softball game together; Alyssa had good stuff tonight. She got ahead in the count and really gave us a chance keeping [Lipscomb] to four hits. It was just an overall team effort," stated Ayers.
Jordan would earn her eighth loss, putting her record at 15-8. Jordan threw four innings, giving up four runs on one hit while walking six batters and striking out three.
"I give Jordan credit, she got us started scoring. She read the defense like we teach them to and she did a good job. It's always good to score first," added Ayers.
Baker, He. Roberts, Ha. Roberts, Ragan, Quinata and senior Kamille Larrabee had one hit each.
"Serena gave us some breathing room, but that doesn't happen if Makenzie Buss and Kristen Griffith don't also have great at-bats and draw those walks," credited Ayers. "To be patient like that and have those three great at bats was huge. We were excited for Serena, for the team, for the breathing room. With a four-run lead, one swing of the bat can't win it for the other team."
With the win, the Dolphins will face Kennesaw State (36-15) in the next round while Lipscomb joins Stetson in the losers bracket.
Up next, FGCU will face Upstate at 10 A.M. while Kennesaw plays JU at 12:30 P.M.
FGCU Softball: A-SUN Conference Tournament Preview and Postseason Awards
The A-SUN Conference Softball Tournament at the Patricia Wilson Field in Deland, Florida is officially set in stone and the FGCU softball comes into the tournament as the #2 seed in the tournament.
Official standings and seeds:
#1 Kennesaw State (36-15, 14-3 A-SUN)
#2 FGCU (37-15, 12-6 A-SUN)
#3 USC Upstate (31-17, 10-6 A-SUN)
#4 Lipscomb (32-15, 9-8 A-SUN)
#5 Jacksonville (26-27, 7-10 A-SUN)
#6 Stetson (26-23, 4-13 A-SUN)
Because UNF (24-29, 4-14 A-SUN) lost the last three games of the season to FGCU, after battling for the No. 6 seed with Stetson, they are eliminated from being in the tournament.
RPI Ranking:
As of May 6, FGCU is ranked the highest in the A-SUN in RPI. Below is the ranks of all seven members' RPI of the A-SUN:
#33 FGCU
#41 KSU
#51 Lipscomb
#69 Upstate
#104 UNF
#138 JU
#165 Stetson
Breakdown of the Tournament:
Let's state the obvious: only six of the seven teams can go to the conference tournament, but how the tournament is broken down is as followed:
1. The overall tournament is double-elimination. When that team loses one game, they will be sent to a losers bracket. The team(s) would need to win the rest of their games to try and avoid being eliminated. If the team loses two in the opening round and in the losers bracket, then they're eliminated from the tournament.
2. The #1 and #2 seeds (Kennesaw and FGCU) will have a first round bye on Thursday and await the winners between the #3-#6 seeds.
3. #6 seed Stetson is the host of the conference tournament.
4. This will be the last conference tournament appearance for USC Upstate.
5. If one team enters the championship game undefeated and then loses in the championship game to a team that had one loss in the game, then there will be a second championship game for the decider (if necessary).
6. Last team standing will not only win the A-SUN Conference Tournament, but will secure an automatic bid in the national tournament.
National Tournament Appearances:
All seven are as noted on make national tournament appearances. Some of the appearances are not fully clear:
Upstate: 4x ('13, '15-'17)
FGCU: 1x ('12)
Lipscomb: 1x ('10)
UNF: none
Kennesaw: none
Stetson: 5x ('86-'88, '07, '14)
Jacksonville: 1x ('11)
Last Time Out:
The Eagles faced UNF in their final series at home for the season. The Eagles clipped the wings off the Ospreys, winning 2-1, 5-0 and 2-0 completing their second conference sweep and their fifth overall sweep of the season.
Player(s) to Expect:
From a pitchers point, junior Riley Randolph has been one of the key anchors on the mound. In the series against UNF, Randolph (17-6-1, 1.64 ERA) posted two wins in the sweep with both being complete games. Randolph threw 15 innings against UNF, giving up one run on seven hits while walking two batters and striking out 13. Randolph also has 136 strikeouts in her name this season. Currently, the St. Pete native sit third for most career strikeouts (406) and is 21 away from passing Kelly Powe (426) for second all-time.
Sophomore Morgan White has also been key on the mound. Despite several no-decisions this season, White (9-2-1, 1.43 ERA) has been effective. White's 1.43 ERA is just the best of all four pitchers, but in the A-SUN too. White is also second on the team in strikeouts (72). In White's last start, she threw her a two-hit shutout against UNF with five strikeouts.
At the plate, senior Brianne Innamorato and junior Racquel Fournet have been on recent roles.
Despite batting only .141, Innamorato came in clutch in the series against UNF finishing 3-for-7 with three RBIs. Innamorato came in to pinch hit in game one and hit a game-tying home run before hitting the game-winning RBI single. Innamorato currently has three home runs and eight RBIs for the season.
Even though she only went 2-for-10 against UNF, Fournet currently leads the team with a .381 batting average with five home runs and a team-leading 32 RBIs. In addition, Fournet hit her 46th career double (third all-time) and is four away from claiming the career doubles record held by Cheyenne Jenks and Courtney Platt (49 each).
The Return of The Napalm:
Surprisingly and unexpectedly, senior Natalie Lopez returned to the lineup for the weekend series against UNF after missing 43 straight games due to a knee injury. Lopez went 1-for-5 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks in the series against UNF which of all days, took place on her 22nd birthday. Currently, Lopez has played 13 games this season and is batting .432, but it is not clear whether she will play in the conference tournament. My guess would be that she might play at least one inning of a game in the tournament, but that's yet to be determined.
Official standings and seeds:
#1 Kennesaw State (36-15, 14-3 A-SUN)
#2 FGCU (37-15, 12-6 A-SUN)
#3 USC Upstate (31-17, 10-6 A-SUN)
#4 Lipscomb (32-15, 9-8 A-SUN)
#5 Jacksonville (26-27, 7-10 A-SUN)
#6 Stetson (26-23, 4-13 A-SUN)
Because UNF (24-29, 4-14 A-SUN) lost the last three games of the season to FGCU, after battling for the No. 6 seed with Stetson, they are eliminated from being in the tournament.
RPI Ranking:
As of May 6, FGCU is ranked the highest in the A-SUN in RPI. Below is the ranks of all seven members' RPI of the A-SUN:
#33 FGCU
#41 KSU
#51 Lipscomb
#69 Upstate
#104 UNF
#138 JU
#165 Stetson
Should FGCU not win the conference tournament, they will likely have a very strong chance of getting an at-large bid based on their RPI. The Eagles record is currently 38-15 (.717 winning percentage).
Breakdown of the Tournament:
Let's state the obvious: only six of the seven teams can go to the conference tournament, but how the tournament is broken down is as followed:
1. The overall tournament is double-elimination. When that team loses one game, they will be sent to a losers bracket. The team(s) would need to win the rest of their games to try and avoid being eliminated. If the team loses two in the opening round and in the losers bracket, then they're eliminated from the tournament.
2. The #1 and #2 seeds (Kennesaw and FGCU) will have a first round bye on Thursday and await the winners between the #3-#6 seeds.
3. #6 seed Stetson is the host of the conference tournament.
4. This will be the last conference tournament appearance for USC Upstate.
5. If one team enters the championship game undefeated and then loses in the championship game to a team that had one loss in the game, then there will be a second championship game for the decider (if necessary).
6. Last team standing will not only win the A-SUN Conference Tournament, but will secure an automatic bid in the national tournament.
National Tournament Appearances:
All seven are as noted on make national tournament appearances. Some of the appearances are not fully clear:
Upstate: 4x ('13, '15-'17)
FGCU: 1x ('12)
Lipscomb: 1x ('10)
UNF: none
Kennesaw: none
Stetson: 5x ('86-'88, '07, '14)
Jacksonville: 1x ('11)
Last Time Out:
The Eagles faced UNF in their final series at home for the season. The Eagles clipped the wings off the Ospreys, winning 2-1, 5-0 and 2-0 completing their second conference sweep and their fifth overall sweep of the season.
Player(s) to Expect:
From a pitchers point, junior Riley Randolph has been one of the key anchors on the mound. In the series against UNF, Randolph (17-6-1, 1.64 ERA) posted two wins in the sweep with both being complete games. Randolph threw 15 innings against UNF, giving up one run on seven hits while walking two batters and striking out 13. Randolph also has 136 strikeouts in her name this season. Currently, the St. Pete native sit third for most career strikeouts (406) and is 21 away from passing Kelly Powe (426) for second all-time.
Sophomore Morgan White has also been key on the mound. Despite several no-decisions this season, White (9-2-1, 1.43 ERA) has been effective. White's 1.43 ERA is just the best of all four pitchers, but in the A-SUN too. White is also second on the team in strikeouts (72). In White's last start, she threw her a two-hit shutout against UNF with five strikeouts.
At the plate, senior Brianne Innamorato and junior Racquel Fournet have been on recent roles.
Despite batting only .141, Innamorato came in clutch in the series against UNF finishing 3-for-7 with three RBIs. Innamorato came in to pinch hit in game one and hit a game-tying home run before hitting the game-winning RBI single. Innamorato currently has three home runs and eight RBIs for the season.
Even though she only went 2-for-10 against UNF, Fournet currently leads the team with a .381 batting average with five home runs and a team-leading 32 RBIs. In addition, Fournet hit her 46th career double (third all-time) and is four away from claiming the career doubles record held by Cheyenne Jenks and Courtney Platt (49 each).
The Return of The Napalm:
Surprisingly and unexpectedly, senior Natalie Lopez returned to the lineup for the weekend series against UNF after missing 43 straight games due to a knee injury. Lopez went 1-for-5 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks in the series against UNF which of all days, took place on her 22nd birthday. Currently, Lopez has played 13 games this season and is batting .432, but it is not clear whether she will play in the conference tournament. My guess would be that she might play at least one inning of a game in the tournament, but that's yet to be determined.
A-SUN Weekly Awards and Postseason Accolades:
Randolph and Innamorato were named the final A-SUN Pitcher and Player of the Week. This was Randolph's third time this season of winning the accolade and the sixth time in her career while for Innamorato, it was her second time since May 2017.
For the postseason, five Eagles earned A-SUN postseason awards:
Randolph and Fournet were named to the A-SUN All-Conference First Team. This was the second time Randolph and Fournet earned first team honors. Fournet was listed as a utility player on the first team.
Senior Kelsey Huff was named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team for the second time in her career. Huff is currently batting .287 with 50 hits and nine RBIs. In addition, Huff has 20 stolen bases.
Freshmen Taylor Bauman and Farley Callaghan were named on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team. Bauman was en route to break former Cansius College pitcher Mallory Aldred's single season saves record (15), but was unable to, however, Bauman does claim a tie Aldred for the saves record. The Jacksonville native is currently 2-3 with a 1.71 ERA. Bauman's 15 saves not only lead the team and the A-SUN, but in the nation too. Callaghan finished the regular season with a .242 batting average, two home runs and seven RBIs. In addition, Callaghan also has a .956 fielding percentage.
In addition to first team honors, Fournet was named a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team for the second time in her career as she turned in a 3.72 GPA.
Kennesaw State had 12 players win postseason awards and accolades including Freshman (Patricia Awald), Coach (Pete D'Amour) and Pitcher of the Year (sophomore Alley Cutting).
What to Expect:
FGCU will await the winner between Upstate and Stetson on May 10. Upstate and Stetson are scheduled to play May 9.
Scouting Upstate:
The Spartans are trying to defend their conference championship run for the sixth time (fourth straight). Of course, this will be the last time that they will play in the A-SUN as they will moving to the Big South Conference in the 2018-19 season.
Junior Christina Biggerstaff leads the way on the mound. Biggerstaff, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team, finished the regular season 15-9 with a 1.90 ERA and 211 strikeouts, which leads the A-SUN .
Offensively, junior Ansley Gilstrap, senior Karla Beasley, and freshman Logan Morris lead the way at the plate.
Gilstrap finished the regular season with a .286 batting average, two home runs and 10 RBIs. Gilstrap also leads the team with 39 stolen bases and was named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team as well as the A-SUN All-Academic Team after turning in a 3.88 GPA.
Beasley finished the season batting .392 with a conference-high 15 home runs and 30 RBIs. As a result, Beasley was named A-SUN Player of the Year and a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team along with junior Brittany Case.
Morris was named on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team after batting .357 with 45 hits, five home runs and 39 RBIs.
During the season, the Spartans won the series 2-1. The Eagles earned the final game in the series winning 4-3.
Scouting Stetson:
As noted, Stetson will be the host of the conference and enter as the No. 6 seed. The Eagles won the series 2-1 against Stetson at home winning 2-0 and 9-5 in the first two games before falling 3-0 in the series finale. The Hatters secured the last spot in the tournament thanks to the Eagles sweep over UNF.
Junior Ashly Smith was featured as one of the best run producers in the A-SUN. Smith finished the regular season batting .396 with 59 hits, 12 doubles, four home runs and 33 RBIs. In addition, Smith was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team.
Sophomore Molly McLaughlin, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team, finished with a .287 batting average, 43 hits, three home runs and 32 RBIs.
Senior Maggie Fritts chipped in with a .273 batting average, eight home runs and 30 RBIs. Fritts joined Smith on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team.
Junior Tori Perkins leads the Hatters' pitching staff with a 16-13 record, 2.66 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
Four freshman were named on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team: Kasey Fava, Devin Lewis, Lizzie Shubert and Jaime Tino.
How to Watch:
The A-SUN Conference Softball Tournament will take place May 9-12 and air on the new app: ESPN+. The app cost $4.99 a month to watch all the tournament games. Live stats will also be provided.
Fans can keep up with the A-SUN Conference Tournament via Twitter: @ASUNSoftball and the respected teams participating in the tournament:
@FGCU_Softball
@KSUOwlsSB
@LipscombSB
@UpstateSoftball
@JUSoftball
@StetsonSoftball
Upstate and host Stetson will play at 3 P.M. Lipscomb and Jacksonville will follow at 5:30 P.M. The losers of those games will go to the losers bracket.
Kennesaw and FGCU will play on Friday May 10 as they both received a bye to determine who they will play next. FGCU will await the winner between Upstate and Stetson and play at 10 A.M. while Kennesaw awaits the winner between Lipscomb and Jacksonville and will play at 12:30 P.M.
General admission for all the games is $25. For a single game, it's $10.
Fans from the participating schools that attend the game(s) with their school I.D. from any of the teams get in free of charge.
Of course I want FGCU to win, but either way, may the best team win and represent the A-SUN.
Randolph and Innamorato were named the final A-SUN Pitcher and Player of the Week. This was Randolph's third time this season of winning the accolade and the sixth time in her career while for Innamorato, it was her second time since May 2017.
For the postseason, five Eagles earned A-SUN postseason awards:
Randolph and Fournet were named to the A-SUN All-Conference First Team. This was the second time Randolph and Fournet earned first team honors. Fournet was listed as a utility player on the first team.
Senior Kelsey Huff was named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team for the second time in her career. Huff is currently batting .287 with 50 hits and nine RBIs. In addition, Huff has 20 stolen bases.
Freshmen Taylor Bauman and Farley Callaghan were named on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team. Bauman was en route to break former Cansius College pitcher Mallory Aldred's single season saves record (15), but was unable to, however, Bauman does claim a tie Aldred for the saves record. The Jacksonville native is currently 2-3 with a 1.71 ERA. Bauman's 15 saves not only lead the team and the A-SUN, but in the nation too. Callaghan finished the regular season with a .242 batting average, two home runs and seven RBIs. In addition, Callaghan also has a .956 fielding percentage.
In addition to first team honors, Fournet was named a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team for the second time in her career as she turned in a 3.72 GPA.
Kennesaw State had 12 players win postseason awards and accolades including Freshman (Patricia Awald), Coach (Pete D'Amour) and Pitcher of the Year (sophomore Alley Cutting).
What to Expect:
FGCU will await the winner between Upstate and Stetson on May 10. Upstate and Stetson are scheduled to play May 9.
Scouting Upstate:
The Spartans are trying to defend their conference championship run for the sixth time (fourth straight). Of course, this will be the last time that they will play in the A-SUN as they will moving to the Big South Conference in the 2018-19 season.
Junior Christina Biggerstaff leads the way on the mound. Biggerstaff, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team, finished the regular season 15-9 with a 1.90 ERA and 211 strikeouts, which leads the A-SUN .
Offensively, junior Ansley Gilstrap, senior Karla Beasley, and freshman Logan Morris lead the way at the plate.
Gilstrap finished the regular season with a .286 batting average, two home runs and 10 RBIs. Gilstrap also leads the team with 39 stolen bases and was named on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team as well as the A-SUN All-Academic Team after turning in a 3.88 GPA.
Beasley finished the season batting .392 with a conference-high 15 home runs and 30 RBIs. As a result, Beasley was named A-SUN Player of the Year and a member of the A-SUN All-Conference First Team along with junior Brittany Case.
Morris was named on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team after batting .357 with 45 hits, five home runs and 39 RBIs.
During the season, the Spartans won the series 2-1. The Eagles earned the final game in the series winning 4-3.
Scouting Stetson:
As noted, Stetson will be the host of the conference and enter as the No. 6 seed. The Eagles won the series 2-1 against Stetson at home winning 2-0 and 9-5 in the first two games before falling 3-0 in the series finale. The Hatters secured the last spot in the tournament thanks to the Eagles sweep over UNF.
Junior Ashly Smith was featured as one of the best run producers in the A-SUN. Smith finished the regular season batting .396 with 59 hits, 12 doubles, four home runs and 33 RBIs. In addition, Smith was named a member of the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team.
Sophomore Molly McLaughlin, who was named a member of the A-SUN All-Academic Team, finished with a .287 batting average, 43 hits, three home runs and 32 RBIs.
Senior Maggie Fritts chipped in with a .273 batting average, eight home runs and 30 RBIs. Fritts joined Smith on the A-SUN All-Conference Second Team.
Junior Tori Perkins leads the Hatters' pitching staff with a 16-13 record, 2.66 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
Four freshman were named on the A-SUN All-Freshman Team: Kasey Fava, Devin Lewis, Lizzie Shubert and Jaime Tino.
The A-SUN Conference Softball Tournament will take place May 9-12 and air on the new app: ESPN+. The app cost $4.99 a month to watch all the tournament games. Live stats will also be provided.
Fans can keep up with the A-SUN Conference Tournament via Twitter: @ASUNSoftball and the respected teams participating in the tournament:
@FGCU_Softball
@KSUOwlsSB
@LipscombSB
@UpstateSoftball
@JUSoftball
@StetsonSoftball
Upstate and host Stetson will play at 3 P.M. Lipscomb and Jacksonville will follow at 5:30 P.M. The losers of those games will go to the losers bracket.
General admission for all the games is $25. For a single game, it's $10.
Fans from the participating schools that attend the game(s) with their school I.D. from any of the teams get in free of charge.
Of course I want FGCU to win, but either way, may the best team win and represent the A-SUN.
FGCU Softball vs UNF Series Recap
The FGCU softball team (37-15, 12-6 A-SUN) claimed their opportunity for a first round bye in the A-SUN Conference Tournament as they swept UNF (24-29, 4-14 A-SUN) 2-1 and 5-0 for games one and two and 2-0 in game three to wrap up the regular season. With the sweep, the Eagles are now 20-13 overall against UNF and earned their second sweep of the season. In addition, the Eagles claimed the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.
For game one, head coach Dave Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to pitch against sophomore Morgan Blourne.
Through three innings, Randolph and Blourne entered into a pitchers duo until the fourth inning when the Ospreys struck first on the scoreboard. After getting freshman Taylor Scott to line out, Randolph would give up a solo home run to junior Dominica Cocuzza. This was Cocuzza's second home run of the season.
The Eagles had an opportunity in the fifth inning to score a run, but were unable to do so.
In the seventh inning, however, with the score still 1-0 in favor of the Ospreys, the Eagles were able to tie the game off the bat of senior Brianne Innamorato. The Mullica Hill native would hit a first pitch home run to left to tie the game at 1-1. This was Innamorato's third home run of the season.
"I saw a strike and I hit it," said Innamorato on the game-tying home run. "We were looking at different spots. She (Blourne) was throwing pretty much a little bit of everything, but I saw a strike and I swung. It was pretty much all I was thinking"
The game would go to extra innings until the bottom of the eighth inning. After junior Racquel Fournet reached first on a fielder's choice before senior Emily Demurius came in to pinch run, senior Ashley Swiderski reached on base from a fielding error before senior Brittany McGuire was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Innamorato. With an 0-1 count, Innamorato would send a single to right, bringing in Demurius for a walk-off win.
"I just needed a single at that one point," said Innamorato on hitting the game-winning hit. "I wasn't kind of doing anything special, just get a hit anywhere, anytime, any place will do it."
Randolph would earn her 16th win of the season with an eight inning four-hit complete game, giving up one run while walking one batter and striking out seven.
It was a great, huge win today that's helping us get the second seed in the tournament," said Randolph. "We win tomorrow, we're definitely clinching the second spot, so that'll get us a bye and then we can play on Thursday."
Blourne would be credited with her ninth loss of the season after throwing 7.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while walking four batters and striking out five.
Fournet would finish 1-for-4 at the plate with a single.
Innamorato would go 2-for-2 with the solo homer and the game-winning RBI single.
Junior Brooke Clemens, freshman Haley Morrell and sophomore Kate Kelly had one hit each.
After playing only 10 games in the beginning of the season, senior Natalie Lopez made her return to the lineup. Lopez missed a majority of the season due to an ACL tear. The Miami native went 0-for-3 with a walk.
For game two, Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to the mound to face redshirt junior Sydney Matzko.
The first two innings would be scoreless until the third inning when the Eagles struck first. After a lead-off double from Morrell before advancing to third from a Kelly ground out, Lopez would send Morrell home with an infield single before stealing second. After a Fournet walk, Swiderski would send Lopez home on an RBI single while Fournet advanced to third on a throwing error, making it 2-0 FGCU.
At the bottom of the fifth, FGCU would add their final three runs of the game. After Kelly reached first on a fielding error, senior Kelsey Huff would then follow with single, sending Kelly to third before stealing second. Fournet would bring Kelly and Huff in for the third and fourth runs of the games after reaching on another UNF fielding error. After senior Brittany McGuire reached on another UNF fielding error, Innamorato would bring in Fournet with an RBI single.
In the sixth and seventh, White was seemingly unfazed as the Ocala native finished the innings for the win.
"I think we needed to get these two wins, and this set us up for a good place in the tournament," said Innamorato. "That was definitely our focus the whole time. It wasn't a focus on how we're gonna do it, it just that we needed to do it."
White would earn her ninth win of the season after throwing a two-hit shutout while walking one batter and striking out five.
"Two very strong outings tonight in the circle by Riley and Morgan in their complete game efforts," said Deiros. "Bri did a great job delivering when her name was called and I'm proud of our kids for battling all the way. We're looking forward to honoring our eight seniors tomorrow and ending the regular season on a strong note before the conference tournament."
Matzko would earn her 18th loss of the season after throwing 5.1 innings. Matzko gave up five runs on six hits while walking one batter and striking out six.
Senior Amanda Blanchard pitched a scoreless inning for the Ospreys giving up only one hit.
Huff would be the only Eagle with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Swiderski, Innamorato, Morrell and Clemens had one hit each.
Lopez finished the two games 1-for-5 with a walk, one RBI, and one run scored.
"It is an unbelievable feeling," said Lopez on her return. "I didn't want to end the year on the bench, and I feel fantastic. I'm extremely happy."
In addition to the series, it was Lopez's 22nd birthday, so what's the best way than to celebrate Lopez's special day? How about being able to play on the field and get a few at-bats.
"It's a blessing to be able to come back on my birthday and get the two dubs (wins)," said Lopez on playing on her birthday.
Going into the third game, Deiros sent Randolph back to the mound against Blourne.
Prior to the game, the Eagles recognized eight seniors: Natalie Lopez, Emily Demurius, Kelsey Huff, Ashley Swiderski, Brittany McGuire, Erica Ward, Brianne Innamorato and Lulu Newmark. UNF's seniors were also recognized as well: Ashley Niesman, Alex Arciola, Becca Enter, Casey Estes and Amanda Blanchard.
After the intro of the seniors and the lineups were announced, I was given the opportunity to sing the national anthem one last time for the final season softball game for my senior year and of course everyone loved it. Of course, the announcer recognized as one of FGCU's loyalest fans and that I will be graduating.
Getting back on track, the Eagles scored their first run in the third inning. After Kelly hit a one-out bunt single, freshman Farley Callaghan would hit a single to left before Fournet hit a double to center, bringing in Kelly for the first run. This was Fournet's 46th career double and is four away from breaking Courtney Platt and Cheyenne Jenks' career doubles record (49 each).
In the fourth inning, the Eagles would add one final run to the scoreboard. After a lead-off double from McGuire before Demurius came into pinch run, Clemens would hit a double to left, sending Demurius home for the second run, which would be the final run.
Randolph would earn her 17th win of the season after throwing a three-hit shutout while walking one batter and striking out six.
Blourne would be credited with her 10th loss of the season after throwing six innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out seven.
Kelly finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and a stolen base. Kelly was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game. Callaghan, Fournet, McGuire and Clemens had the Eagles other hits.
All eight seniors played in their final regular season game. Huff and Swiderski went 0-for-3, McGuire was 1-for-3 with a double, Demurius had a run scored as a pinch runner, Innamorato was 0-for-2, Lopez drew a walk, and Newmark went 0-for-1. Ward also played in the game at first for Fournet.
"A big congratulations first of all to our eight seniors who played their last home game here at FGCU," said Deiros on the seniors. "Each of them has meant a great deal to this program over the years and I'm proud of each of their accomplishments. Coming out today we knew what was at stake and we got the job done behind great defense and another stellar outing from Riley. We'll enjoy this win and start preparing for another run in next week's A-SUN Championship."
As the regular season comes to a close, the conference tournament seeds are set and listed with their overall and conference records:
#1 Kennesaw State (36-15, 14-3 A-SUN)
#2 FGCU (37-15, 12-6 A-SUN)
#3 USC Upstate (31-17, 10-6 A-SUN)
#4 Lipscomb (32-15, 9-8 A-SUN)
#5 Jacksonville (26-27, 7-10 A-SUN)
#6 Stetson (26-23, 4-11 A-SUN)
Because UNF (24-29, 4-14 A-SUN) lost the last three games of the season to FGCU, while battling for the No. 6 seed with Stetson, they are eliminated from participating in the A-SUN Conference Tournament.
I'm proud of what the team has done this year. Battling through injuries and seeing unexpected moments from the players is quite amazing, and I'm grateful I got to see them play for one last season as a student at FGCU.
Out of the whole team, I only get to graduate with two players at the same time of the same day: Bri Innamorato and Brittany McGuire, but I also get to graduate on the same day as Erica Ward.
I've known Erica since her freshman year at SCF and now being able to graduate with her at FGCU, even if it's at different times, is still a wonderful moment.
I know SCF athletic director Matt Ennis and current SCF head softball coach Mandy Schuerman are happy to see two more SCF alums graduate along with several of her teammates from the 2015-16 season. When I heard that Ward signed her national letter of intent with FGCU after two years with SCF, I was happy for her and I was happy that I wasn't the only SCF alum that was gonna be around athletics.
Thank you so much FGCU Softball for a thrill of a journey and let's finish the tournament strong. FGCU LETS GET HYPE WHOOP THERE IT IS!!!
Below are photos of me taking selfies with the team during their autograph session:
For game one, head coach Dave Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to pitch against sophomore Morgan Blourne.
Through three innings, Randolph and Blourne entered into a pitchers duo until the fourth inning when the Ospreys struck first on the scoreboard. After getting freshman Taylor Scott to line out, Randolph would give up a solo home run to junior Dominica Cocuzza. This was Cocuzza's second home run of the season.
The Eagles had an opportunity in the fifth inning to score a run, but were unable to do so.
In the seventh inning, however, with the score still 1-0 in favor of the Ospreys, the Eagles were able to tie the game off the bat of senior Brianne Innamorato. The Mullica Hill native would hit a first pitch home run to left to tie the game at 1-1. This was Innamorato's third home run of the season.
"I saw a strike and I hit it," said Innamorato on the game-tying home run. "We were looking at different spots. She (Blourne) was throwing pretty much a little bit of everything, but I saw a strike and I swung. It was pretty much all I was thinking"
The game would go to extra innings until the bottom of the eighth inning. After junior Racquel Fournet reached first on a fielder's choice before senior Emily Demurius came in to pinch run, senior Ashley Swiderski reached on base from a fielding error before senior Brittany McGuire was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Innamorato. With an 0-1 count, Innamorato would send a single to right, bringing in Demurius for a walk-off win.
"I just needed a single at that one point," said Innamorato on hitting the game-winning hit. "I wasn't kind of doing anything special, just get a hit anywhere, anytime, any place will do it."
Randolph would earn her 16th win of the season with an eight inning four-hit complete game, giving up one run while walking one batter and striking out seven.
It was a great, huge win today that's helping us get the second seed in the tournament," said Randolph. "We win tomorrow, we're definitely clinching the second spot, so that'll get us a bye and then we can play on Thursday."
Blourne would be credited with her ninth loss of the season after throwing 7.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while walking four batters and striking out five.
Fournet would finish 1-for-4 at the plate with a single.
Innamorato would go 2-for-2 with the solo homer and the game-winning RBI single.
Junior Brooke Clemens, freshman Haley Morrell and sophomore Kate Kelly had one hit each.
After playing only 10 games in the beginning of the season, senior Natalie Lopez made her return to the lineup. Lopez missed a majority of the season due to an ACL tear. The Miami native went 0-for-3 with a walk.
For game two, Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to the mound to face redshirt junior Sydney Matzko.
The first two innings would be scoreless until the third inning when the Eagles struck first. After a lead-off double from Morrell before advancing to third from a Kelly ground out, Lopez would send Morrell home with an infield single before stealing second. After a Fournet walk, Swiderski would send Lopez home on an RBI single while Fournet advanced to third on a throwing error, making it 2-0 FGCU.
At the bottom of the fifth, FGCU would add their final three runs of the game. After Kelly reached first on a fielding error, senior Kelsey Huff would then follow with single, sending Kelly to third before stealing second. Fournet would bring Kelly and Huff in for the third and fourth runs of the games after reaching on another UNF fielding error. After senior Brittany McGuire reached on another UNF fielding error, Innamorato would bring in Fournet with an RBI single.
In the sixth and seventh, White was seemingly unfazed as the Ocala native finished the innings for the win.
"I think we needed to get these two wins, and this set us up for a good place in the tournament," said Innamorato. "That was definitely our focus the whole time. It wasn't a focus on how we're gonna do it, it just that we needed to do it."
White would earn her ninth win of the season after throwing a two-hit shutout while walking one batter and striking out five.
"Two very strong outings tonight in the circle by Riley and Morgan in their complete game efforts," said Deiros. "Bri did a great job delivering when her name was called and I'm proud of our kids for battling all the way. We're looking forward to honoring our eight seniors tomorrow and ending the regular season on a strong note before the conference tournament."
Matzko would earn her 18th loss of the season after throwing 5.1 innings. Matzko gave up five runs on six hits while walking one batter and striking out six.
Senior Amanda Blanchard pitched a scoreless inning for the Ospreys giving up only one hit.
Huff would be the only Eagle with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Swiderski, Innamorato, Morrell and Clemens had one hit each.
Lopez finished the two games 1-for-5 with a walk, one RBI, and one run scored.
"It is an unbelievable feeling," said Lopez on her return. "I didn't want to end the year on the bench, and I feel fantastic. I'm extremely happy."
In addition to the series, it was Lopez's 22nd birthday, so what's the best way than to celebrate Lopez's special day? How about being able to play on the field and get a few at-bats.
"It's a blessing to be able to come back on my birthday and get the two dubs (wins)," said Lopez on playing on her birthday.
Going into the third game, Deiros sent Randolph back to the mound against Blourne.
Prior to the game, the Eagles recognized eight seniors: Natalie Lopez, Emily Demurius, Kelsey Huff, Ashley Swiderski, Brittany McGuire, Erica Ward, Brianne Innamorato and Lulu Newmark. UNF's seniors were also recognized as well: Ashley Niesman, Alex Arciola, Becca Enter, Casey Estes and Amanda Blanchard.
After the intro of the seniors and the lineups were announced, I was given the opportunity to sing the national anthem one last time for the final season softball game for my senior year and of course everyone loved it. Of course, the announcer recognized as one of FGCU's loyalest fans and that I will be graduating.
Getting back on track, the Eagles scored their first run in the third inning. After Kelly hit a one-out bunt single, freshman Farley Callaghan would hit a single to left before Fournet hit a double to center, bringing in Kelly for the first run. This was Fournet's 46th career double and is four away from breaking Courtney Platt and Cheyenne Jenks' career doubles record (49 each).
In the fourth inning, the Eagles would add one final run to the scoreboard. After a lead-off double from McGuire before Demurius came into pinch run, Clemens would hit a double to left, sending Demurius home for the second run, which would be the final run.
Randolph would earn her 17th win of the season after throwing a three-hit shutout while walking one batter and striking out six.
Blourne would be credited with her 10th loss of the season after throwing six innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out seven.
Kelly finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and a stolen base. Kelly was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game. Callaghan, Fournet, McGuire and Clemens had the Eagles other hits.
All eight seniors played in their final regular season game. Huff and Swiderski went 0-for-3, McGuire was 1-for-3 with a double, Demurius had a run scored as a pinch runner, Innamorato was 0-for-2, Lopez drew a walk, and Newmark went 0-for-1. Ward also played in the game at first for Fournet.
"A big congratulations first of all to our eight seniors who played their last home game here at FGCU," said Deiros on the seniors. "Each of them has meant a great deal to this program over the years and I'm proud of each of their accomplishments. Coming out today we knew what was at stake and we got the job done behind great defense and another stellar outing from Riley. We'll enjoy this win and start preparing for another run in next week's A-SUN Championship."
As the regular season comes to a close, the conference tournament seeds are set and listed with their overall and conference records:
#1 Kennesaw State (36-15, 14-3 A-SUN)
#2 FGCU (37-15, 12-6 A-SUN)
#3 USC Upstate (31-17, 10-6 A-SUN)
#4 Lipscomb (32-15, 9-8 A-SUN)
#5 Jacksonville (26-27, 7-10 A-SUN)
#6 Stetson (26-23, 4-11 A-SUN)
Because UNF (24-29, 4-14 A-SUN) lost the last three games of the season to FGCU, while battling for the No. 6 seed with Stetson, they are eliminated from participating in the A-SUN Conference Tournament.
I'm proud of what the team has done this year. Battling through injuries and seeing unexpected moments from the players is quite amazing, and I'm grateful I got to see them play for one last season as a student at FGCU.
Out of the whole team, I only get to graduate with two players at the same time of the same day: Bri Innamorato and Brittany McGuire, but I also get to graduate on the same day as Erica Ward.
I've known Erica since her freshman year at SCF and now being able to graduate with her at FGCU, even if it's at different times, is still a wonderful moment.
I know SCF athletic director Matt Ennis and current SCF head softball coach Mandy Schuerman are happy to see two more SCF alums graduate along with several of her teammates from the 2015-16 season. When I heard that Ward signed her national letter of intent with FGCU after two years with SCF, I was happy for her and I was happy that I wasn't the only SCF alum that was gonna be around athletics.
Thank you so much FGCU Softball for a thrill of a journey and let's finish the tournament strong. FGCU LETS GET HYPE WHOOP THERE IT IS!!!
Below are photos of me taking selfies with the team during their autograph session:
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| With Erica Ward from Fall 2015 when she played at SCF |
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| With Erica Ward in 2018 |
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| With Taylor Bauman |
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| With Ashley Biddle |
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| With Ahnie Jumper |
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| With Riley Withrow |
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| With Nat Lopez and her birthday poster for her 22nd birthday |
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| With Marissa Mesiemore |
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| With Morgan White |
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| With Racquel Fournet |
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| With Brooke Clemens and Bri Bennett |
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| With Bri Innamorato and Farley Callaghan |
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| With Kelsey Huff |
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| With Kate Kelly |
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| With Lulu Newmark |
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| With Brittany McGuire |
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| With Ashley Swiderski |
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| With Riley Randolph |
FGCU Softball vs UNF Series Preview
The FGCU softball team (35-15, 9-6 A-SUN) are set to wrap up their final conference series at home as they face UNF (24-27, 4-11 A-SUN).
Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped up by winning their last conference road trip against Lipscomb. The Eagles would split the first two games winning 1-0 for the first game before losing the second game 1-9 in six innings via the mercy rule. The Eagles would claim the series after winning the rubber match game by a score of 2-1 in nine innings.
A-SUN Standings:
The conference standings are as noted:
1. Kennesaw State (36-15, 14-3 A-SUN)*+
2. Upstate (31-17, 10-6 A-SUN)*
3. FGCU (35-15, 9-6 A-SUN)*
4. Lipscomb (31-15, 9-8 A-SUN)*
5. Jacksonville (24-26, 5-9 A-SUN)
6. UNF (24-27, 4-11 A-SUN)
7. Stetson (25-21, 3-11 A-SUN)
*Clinched a spot in the A-SUN tournament
+ A-SUN Regular Season Championship
Jacksonville, Stetson and UNF are currently battling for the final two spots in the conference tournament
#1 Seed Dwindled:
The Eagles chance of earning the No. 1 seed and regular season championship dwindle away after falling in game two of the series against Lipscomb, however, the Eagles can get the No. 2 seed for a first round bye in the tournament if they sweep UNF. With the possible sweep against UNF, the Eagles can move ahead of Upstate.
Key Player(s):
On the mound, junior Riley Randolph and sophomore Morgan White have been on point.
Randolph (15-6), who was named A-SUN Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season, is currently throwing a 1.76 ERA with 123 strikeouts. Against Lipscomb, the St. Petersburg native threw 15 innings and struck out 13 batters including the rubber match game where she threw eight innings.
White (8-2) is currently throwing a team-leading 1.57 ERA with 67 strikeouts. White threw two innings in game two and earned her first save in game three.
At the plate, senior Ashley Swiderski and junior Racquel Fournet have been keys on the offense.
Swiderski is currently batting .255 with six home runs and 25 RBIs. Swiderski went 2-for-8 against Lipscomb.
Fournet currently leads the team with a .393 batting with 57 hits, five home runs and 30 RBIs. In the series against Lipscomb, Fournet went 6-for-8 with three doubles.
Mrs. Doubles:
Speaking of doubles, Fournet currently has 13 doubles this season, but overall in her career, the Windemere native is third overall with 45 career doubles including the three from the series against Lipscomb. Fournet is five doubles away from passing Courtney Platt and Cheyenne Jenks (49 each) from being the all-time leader in career doubles.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys recently competed in a series against Stetson. The Ospreys would win the series after splitting the first two games losing 0-1 in game one and winning 6-5 in game two before winning the rubber match game by a score of 4-0.
On the mound, despite her record, redshirt junior Sydney Matzko leads the way for the Osprey. Matzko is currently 12-17 with a 2.15 ERA and 136 strikeouts. the North Carolina transfer played in all three games against Stetson. Matzko threw two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout in game one, 3.1 innings with four in game two and a one-hit shutout with four strikeouts.
At the plate, junior Navia Penrod leads the team with a .432 batting average. In the series against Stetson, Penrod was 3-9 with a double.
Junior Tiffany Lower leads the team with three home runs and is second on the team with 21 RBIs. Lower was 4-10 against Stetson with an RBI.
Series History:
The Eagles are currently 17-13 overall against the Ospreys. Last time both teams met, the Ospreys won the series winning 2-0 and 6-4 before the Eagles won 5-2 to avoid the sweep
Senior Recognition:
For the Eagles, eight seniors will be recognized for the final game of the season for their senior day: Natalie Lopez, Emily Demurius, Kelsey Huff, Ashley Swiderski, Brittany McGuire, Erica Ward, Brianne Innamorato and Lulu Newmark.
The Ospreys' seniors will also be recognized: Ashley Niesman, Alex Arciola, Becca Enter, Casey Estes and Amanda Blanchard.
The first two games will be at 5 and 7 P.M on Friday and Saturday at 2 P.M. The Friday games will be dubbed as Youth Night and Star Wars Night while Saturday will also be dubbed as a green out along with Free Comic Book Day for Senior Day.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles wrapped up by winning their last conference road trip against Lipscomb. The Eagles would split the first two games winning 1-0 for the first game before losing the second game 1-9 in six innings via the mercy rule. The Eagles would claim the series after winning the rubber match game by a score of 2-1 in nine innings.
A-SUN Standings:
The conference standings are as noted:
1. Kennesaw State (36-15, 14-3 A-SUN)*+
2. Upstate (31-17, 10-6 A-SUN)*
3. FGCU (35-15, 9-6 A-SUN)*
4. Lipscomb (31-15, 9-8 A-SUN)*
5. Jacksonville (24-26, 5-9 A-SUN)
6. UNF (24-27, 4-11 A-SUN)
7. Stetson (25-21, 3-11 A-SUN)
*Clinched a spot in the A-SUN tournament
+ A-SUN Regular Season Championship
Jacksonville, Stetson and UNF are currently battling for the final two spots in the conference tournament
#1 Seed Dwindled:
The Eagles chance of earning the No. 1 seed and regular season championship dwindle away after falling in game two of the series against Lipscomb, however, the Eagles can get the No. 2 seed for a first round bye in the tournament if they sweep UNF. With the possible sweep against UNF, the Eagles can move ahead of Upstate.
Key Player(s):
On the mound, junior Riley Randolph and sophomore Morgan White have been on point.
Randolph (15-6), who was named A-SUN Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season, is currently throwing a 1.76 ERA with 123 strikeouts. Against Lipscomb, the St. Petersburg native threw 15 innings and struck out 13 batters including the rubber match game where she threw eight innings.
White (8-2) is currently throwing a team-leading 1.57 ERA with 67 strikeouts. White threw two innings in game two and earned her first save in game three.
At the plate, senior Ashley Swiderski and junior Racquel Fournet have been keys on the offense.
Swiderski is currently batting .255 with six home runs and 25 RBIs. Swiderski went 2-for-8 against Lipscomb.
Fournet currently leads the team with a .393 batting with 57 hits, five home runs and 30 RBIs. In the series against Lipscomb, Fournet went 6-for-8 with three doubles.
Mrs. Doubles:
Speaking of doubles, Fournet currently has 13 doubles this season, but overall in her career, the Windemere native is third overall with 45 career doubles including the three from the series against Lipscomb. Fournet is five doubles away from passing Courtney Platt and Cheyenne Jenks (49 each) from being the all-time leader in career doubles.
Scouting UNF:
The Ospreys recently competed in a series against Stetson. The Ospreys would win the series after splitting the first two games losing 0-1 in game one and winning 6-5 in game two before winning the rubber match game by a score of 4-0.
On the mound, despite her record, redshirt junior Sydney Matzko leads the way for the Osprey. Matzko is currently 12-17 with a 2.15 ERA and 136 strikeouts. the North Carolina transfer played in all three games against Stetson. Matzko threw two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout in game one, 3.1 innings with four in game two and a one-hit shutout with four strikeouts.
At the plate, junior Navia Penrod leads the team with a .432 batting average. In the series against Stetson, Penrod was 3-9 with a double.
Junior Tiffany Lower leads the team with three home runs and is second on the team with 21 RBIs. Lower was 4-10 against Stetson with an RBI.
Series History:
The Eagles are currently 17-13 overall against the Ospreys. Last time both teams met, the Ospreys won the series winning 2-0 and 6-4 before the Eagles won 5-2 to avoid the sweep
Senior Recognition:
For the Eagles, eight seniors will be recognized for the final game of the season for their senior day: Natalie Lopez, Emily Demurius, Kelsey Huff, Ashley Swiderski, Brittany McGuire, Erica Ward, Brianne Innamorato and Lulu Newmark.
The Ospreys' seniors will also be recognized: Ashley Niesman, Alex Arciola, Becca Enter, Casey Estes and Amanda Blanchard.
The first two games will be at 5 and 7 P.M on Friday and Saturday at 2 P.M. The Friday games will be dubbed as Youth Night and Star Wars Night while Saturday will also be dubbed as a green out along with Free Comic Book Day for Senior Day.
FGCU Softball vs Lipscomb Series Recap
In a top-4 battle of the A-SUN standings, the FGCU softball team (35-15, 9-6 A-SUN) wrapped up their final conference road trip as they won the series against Lipscomb (31-15, 9-8 A-SUN). The Eagles split the first two games winning 1-0 in the first game and falling 9-1 in game via the mercy rule before winning the rubber game 2-1 in 10 innings.
Game One: FGCU 1, Lipscomb 0:
In game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to pitch against Mandy Jordan. Throughout the whole game, it was a pitchers duo between Randolph and Jordan. Both teams had opportunities to get on the scoreboard first through five innings, but to no avail. Both Randolph and Jordan combined 10 strikeouts in five innings.
In the sixth inning, the Eagles would be able to put the only run on the scoreboard. Senior Ashley Swiderski would begin with a lead-off walk before Deiros sent fellow senior Emily Demurius to pinch run. Demurius advanced to second on a passed ball before advancing to third off a single from junior Racquel Fournet. Senior Brittany McGuire would reach on a fielder’s choice bringing in Demurius for the first run of the game.
In the seventh inning, the Eagles had an opportunity to add an insurance run, but were unsuccessful to do so. The Bison also had an opportunity to get a run on the board to at least tie the game. After giving up a one-out triple, Randolph to get the next batter to pop out before striking out the final batter.
Randolph earned her 14th win of the season after throwing a five-hit shutout while walking three batters and striking out nine.
Jordan would be credited with her sixth loss putting her record at 15-6. Jordan threw a complete game, giving up the only Eagles run on four hits while walking two batters and striking out five.
Out of the four hits from the Eagles, Fournet was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game. Fournet went 2-for-3 with a double. This was Fournet’s 43rd double of her career. Freshmen Farley Callaghan and Haley Morrell would have the Eagles other two hits.
Game Two: FGCU 1, LIPSCOMB 9:
For game two, Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to the mound to face Chloe Yeager. In the second inning, the Eagles struck early on the scoreboard. After Morrell hit a two-out single, senior Kelsey Huff would send Morrell home on an RBI single.
In the third inning, White was replaced by freshman Marissa Mesiemore. Mesiemore would struggle through the third and part of the fourth inning before being replaced by fellow freshman Taylor Bauman. The Bison would score the final four runs in the sixth inning before the game was called after the eight run mercy rule.
White would earn a no-decision after throwing two scoreless innings, giving up three hits while walking one batter and striking out one.
Yeager would earn her eighth win of the season after throwing a six inning complete game, giving up one run on six hits while walking one batter and striking out two.
Mesiemore would be credited with her fourth loss after throwing 1.1 innings, giving up five runs on six hits with one strikeout.
Bauman gave up four unearned runs on six hits while walking one batter.
Fournet and Swiderski went 2-for-3 each. Fournet added her second double of the series, her 44th in her career. Huff and Morrell would have one hit each.
"Gutsy series win for our team," stated Deiros. "Riley fought all day to keep us in it and Morgan closed the door in style in the ninth."
McGuire, Callaghan, and Newmark had one hit each. McGuire and Newmark had the Eagles two RBIs.
Game One: FGCU 1, Lipscomb 0:
In game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to pitch against Mandy Jordan. Throughout the whole game, it was a pitchers duo between Randolph and Jordan. Both teams had opportunities to get on the scoreboard first through five innings, but to no avail. Both Randolph and Jordan combined 10 strikeouts in five innings.
In the sixth inning, the Eagles would be able to put the only run on the scoreboard. Senior Ashley Swiderski would begin with a lead-off walk before Deiros sent fellow senior Emily Demurius to pinch run. Demurius advanced to second on a passed ball before advancing to third off a single from junior Racquel Fournet. Senior Brittany McGuire would reach on a fielder’s choice bringing in Demurius for the first run of the game.
In the seventh inning, the Eagles had an opportunity to add an insurance run, but were unsuccessful to do so. The Bison also had an opportunity to get a run on the board to at least tie the game. After giving up a one-out triple, Randolph to get the next batter to pop out before striking out the final batter.
Randolph earned her 14th win of the season after throwing a five-hit shutout while walking three batters and striking out nine.
Jordan would be credited with her sixth loss putting her record at 15-6. Jordan threw a complete game, giving up the only Eagles run on four hits while walking two batters and striking out five.
Out of the four hits from the Eagles, Fournet was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game. Fournet went 2-for-3 with a double. This was Fournet’s 43rd double of her career. Freshmen Farley Callaghan and Haley Morrell would have the Eagles other two hits.
Game Two: FGCU 1, LIPSCOMB 9:
For game two, Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to the mound to face Chloe Yeager. In the second inning, the Eagles struck early on the scoreboard. After Morrell hit a two-out single, senior Kelsey Huff would send Morrell home on an RBI single.
In the third inning, White was replaced by freshman Marissa Mesiemore. Mesiemore would struggle through the third and part of the fourth inning before being replaced by fellow freshman Taylor Bauman. The Bison would score the final four runs in the sixth inning before the game was called after the eight run mercy rule.
White would earn a no-decision after throwing two scoreless innings, giving up three hits while walking one batter and striking out one.
Yeager would earn her eighth win of the season after throwing a six inning complete game, giving up one run on six hits while walking one batter and striking out two.
Mesiemore would be credited with her fourth loss after throwing 1.1 innings, giving up five runs on six hits with one strikeout.
Bauman gave up four unearned runs on six hits while walking one batter.
Fournet and Swiderski went 2-for-3 each. Fournet added her second double of the series, her 44th in her career. Huff and Morrell would have one hit each.
Game Three: FGCU 2, Lipscomb 1:
For the rubber game, Deiros sent Randolph back to the mound to pitch against Jordan. Similar game one of the series, it was a pitcher’s battle between Randolph and Jordan. Both pitchers combined a total of 10 strikeouts (Randolph (3), Jordan (7)) through five innings.
The Bison would get on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the sixth after a solo home run off the bat of Khayla Green.
In the seventh inning, with the score 1-0 in favor of Lipscomb, the Eagles would soon tie the game. Fournet would begin by drawing a lead-off walk before Demurius came in to pinch-run. After Demurius advanced to second on a ground out from Swiderski, McGuire would send Demurius home with an RBI double. After ending the seventh at 1-1, the game would go into extra innings.
At the top of the ninth inning, the Eagles would soon take the lead. After a one-out double from Fournet and a two-out walk from McGuire, Callaghan would hit a single to load the bases for senior Lulu Newmark. Newmark would bring in the go-ahead run sending Fournet home for the Eagles second run.
White would come in for Randolph in the ninth for a save situation and had no trouble to end the inning unfazed.
"Gutsy series win for our team," stated Deiros. "Riley fought all day to keep us in it and Morgan closed the door in style in the ninth."
Randolph would earn her 15th win of the season and her second win of the series after throwing eight innings, giving up one run on nine hits while walking and striking out four batters each. Randolph threw 16 innings and struck out 13 batters
White would earn her first save of the season after throwing one scoreless inning while striking out two batters.
Jordan would be credited with her seventh loss of the season after throwing 8.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits while walking three batters and striking out 10.
Yeager came in relief for Lipscomb throwing a third of an inning giving up two hits.
Fournet was the only Eagles player with a multi-hit game going 2-for-2 with her 13th double of the season and 45th double of her career. Fournet finished the series 6 for 8 with three doubles.
McGuire, Callaghan, and Newmark had one hit each. McGuire and Newmark had the Eagles two RBIs.
The Eagle will conclude their season with three final home games against UNF.
FGCU Softball vs Lipscomb Preview
The FGCU softball team (32-14, 7-5 A-SUN) prepare for their final conference road trip as they face Lipscomb (30-13, 8-6 A-SUN) in Nashville.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles last played Jacksonville for their second to last conference road trip. The Eagles would sweep the Dolphins in all three games (Gm 1. 6-0, Gm 2. 6-5, Gm 3. 8-1). In addition, this was the Eagles' first sweep in conference since the 2016 season (vs UNF May 2-3).
Key Players:
On the mound, sophomore Morgan White and junior Riley Randolph have been key factors.
White (8-2, 1.47 ERA) made two appearances in the series against Jacksonville, earning wins in both games. In the first appearance, White threw two-thirds of an inning while one batter and striking out one. In game two, White threw her first complete game of the season giving up one run (unearned) on one hit while striking out nine.
Randolph (13-6, 1.92 ERA) also made two appearances against Jacksonville. In game one, Randolph threw a two-hit shutout, walking two batters and striking out five. In game two, Randolph came in for her first save throwing one scoreless inning while walking two batters and striking out one.
At the plate, the players that have been on a hot streak include senior Ashley Swiderski, freshman Farley Callaghan and junior Racquel Fournet.
Despite going 0-4 in the last game of the series against Jacksonville, Swiderski finished 4-12 with two doubles, one triple and three RBIs. Swiderski is currently batting .255 with 35 hits, six doubles, four triples, six home runs and 25 RBIs.
Callaghan is currently batting .247 with 20 hits, six doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. In the series against JU, Callaghan finished 5-9 (.555) with two doubles and an RBI.
Fournet is currently leading the team with a .372 batting average. The Windemere native has 51 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 30 RBIs. Against JU, Fournet went 5-11 (.455) with two doubles and an RBI. Fournet's two doubles put her at 42 in her career and is eight away from surpassing Cheyenne Jenkins and Courtney Platt (49) for most in a career.
Save The Nation:
Freshman Taylor Bauman still not only leads the team and conference in saves (15), but in the nation too. The Jacksonville native currently ties the single season record for saves with former Canisius College pitcher Mallory Aldred. Bauman is only one save away from passing Aldred for the single season saves record.
Scouting Lipscomb:
The Bison recently faced former A-SUN Conference member Belmont, winning 13-2 in five innings.
Last time out for the Bison in conference, they faced Kennesaw in only two games, losing 2-3 and 1-2. The third game was tied at 5-5 in the fourth inning, but was cancelled due to rain.
On the mound, junior Mandy Jordan leads the way. Jordan (15-5, 1.47 ERA) lead the team with 128 strikeouts. In her last start against Kennesaw, Jordan earned a loss after throwing six innings, giving up three runs on four hits while walking four and striking out one.
At the plate, senior Abby Fenichel and junior Jordan Fortel lead the way.
Fenichel is currently batting .289 and leads the team with seven home runs and 32 RBIs. Against Kennesaw Fenichel went 2-6 with two RBIs.
Fortel is currently batting .261 with five home runs and 19 RBIs as a batter. In the game against Belmont, Fortel went 1-3 with a home run and two RBIs. She went 1-5 with a home run in the series against Kennesaw. As a pitcher, Fortel is 3-3 with a 1.76 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
Series History:
The Eagles are currently 12-10 all-time against the Lady Bison. Last time both teams met, the Eagles took the series at home as they won game one 3-2 in nine innings and 4-0 in game three, but lost 2-10 in the second game.
Chance At No. 1:
The current conference standings are as noted:
1. Kennesaw (34-14, 12-2 A-SUN)
2. Upstate (31-16, 10-6 A-SUN)
3. FGCU (33-14, 7-5 A-SUN)
4. Lipscomb (30-13, 8-6 A-SUN)
5. Jacksonville (23-24, 4-7 A-SUN)
6. Stetson (24-19, 2-9 A-SUN)
7. UNF (22-26, 2-10 A-SUN)
The Eagles do have a slight chance to get the No. 1 and No. 2 spot for the conference tournament. The Eagles would have to sweep Lipscomb and UNF, but they would also need Jacksonville to sweep Kennesaw to get the No. 1 seed.
To get No. 2, the Eagles would have to sweep Lipscomb and UNF, and Kennesaw would have to lose the series against Jacksonville.
Livestream:
The first two games will air on ESPN+ at 5 P.M. and 7 P.M. and live stats will be available for all three games.
Last Time Out:
The Eagles last played Jacksonville for their second to last conference road trip. The Eagles would sweep the Dolphins in all three games (Gm 1. 6-0, Gm 2. 6-5, Gm 3. 8-1). In addition, this was the Eagles' first sweep in conference since the 2016 season (vs UNF May 2-3).
Key Players:
On the mound, sophomore Morgan White and junior Riley Randolph have been key factors.
White (8-2, 1.47 ERA) made two appearances in the series against Jacksonville, earning wins in both games. In the first appearance, White threw two-thirds of an inning while one batter and striking out one. In game two, White threw her first complete game of the season giving up one run (unearned) on one hit while striking out nine.
Randolph (13-6, 1.92 ERA) also made two appearances against Jacksonville. In game one, Randolph threw a two-hit shutout, walking two batters and striking out five. In game two, Randolph came in for her first save throwing one scoreless inning while walking two batters and striking out one.
At the plate, the players that have been on a hot streak include senior Ashley Swiderski, freshman Farley Callaghan and junior Racquel Fournet.
Despite going 0-4 in the last game of the series against Jacksonville, Swiderski finished 4-12 with two doubles, one triple and three RBIs. Swiderski is currently batting .255 with 35 hits, six doubles, four triples, six home runs and 25 RBIs.
Callaghan is currently batting .247 with 20 hits, six doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. In the series against JU, Callaghan finished 5-9 (.555) with two doubles and an RBI.
Fournet is currently leading the team with a .372 batting average. The Windemere native has 51 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 30 RBIs. Against JU, Fournet went 5-11 (.455) with two doubles and an RBI. Fournet's two doubles put her at 42 in her career and is eight away from surpassing Cheyenne Jenkins and Courtney Platt (49) for most in a career.
Save The Nation:
Freshman Taylor Bauman still not only leads the team and conference in saves (15), but in the nation too. The Jacksonville native currently ties the single season record for saves with former Canisius College pitcher Mallory Aldred. Bauman is only one save away from passing Aldred for the single season saves record.
Scouting Lipscomb:
The Bison recently faced former A-SUN Conference member Belmont, winning 13-2 in five innings.
Last time out for the Bison in conference, they faced Kennesaw in only two games, losing 2-3 and 1-2. The third game was tied at 5-5 in the fourth inning, but was cancelled due to rain.
On the mound, junior Mandy Jordan leads the way. Jordan (15-5, 1.47 ERA) lead the team with 128 strikeouts. In her last start against Kennesaw, Jordan earned a loss after throwing six innings, giving up three runs on four hits while walking four and striking out one.
At the plate, senior Abby Fenichel and junior Jordan Fortel lead the way.
Fenichel is currently batting .289 and leads the team with seven home runs and 32 RBIs. Against Kennesaw Fenichel went 2-6 with two RBIs.
Fortel is currently batting .261 with five home runs and 19 RBIs as a batter. In the game against Belmont, Fortel went 1-3 with a home run and two RBIs. She went 1-5 with a home run in the series against Kennesaw. As a pitcher, Fortel is 3-3 with a 1.76 ERA and 29 strikeouts.
Series History:
The Eagles are currently 12-10 all-time against the Lady Bison. Last time both teams met, the Eagles took the series at home as they won game one 3-2 in nine innings and 4-0 in game three, but lost 2-10 in the second game.
Chance At No. 1:
The current conference standings are as noted:
1. Kennesaw (34-14, 12-2 A-SUN)
2. Upstate (31-16, 10-6 A-SUN)
3. FGCU (33-14, 7-5 A-SUN)
4. Lipscomb (30-13, 8-6 A-SUN)
5. Jacksonville (23-24, 4-7 A-SUN)
6. Stetson (24-19, 2-9 A-SUN)
7. UNF (22-26, 2-10 A-SUN)
The Eagles do have a slight chance to get the No. 1 and No. 2 spot for the conference tournament. The Eagles would have to sweep Lipscomb and UNF, but they would also need Jacksonville to sweep Kennesaw to get the No. 1 seed.
To get No. 2, the Eagles would have to sweep Lipscomb and UNF, and Kennesaw would have to lose the series against Jacksonville.
Livestream:
The first two games will air on ESPN+ at 5 P.M. and 7 P.M. and live stats will be available for all three games.
FGCU Softball vs. JU Recap: Final Game
Bouncing from fifth to fourth place in the conference standings, the FGCU softball team (32-14, 7-5 A-SUN) swept the series against Jacksonville (23-24, 4-7 A-SUN). The Eagles would win the final game by a score of 8-1. With the win, the Eagles are not only 24-5 against the Dolphins, but have also claimed their first sweep in conference play this season.
Head coach Dave Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to the mound to pitch against sophomore Alyssa Bilodeau.
The Dolphins would shake up White in the bottom of the first after an RBI single from Ragan, but it would be the only run and hit that the Dolphins would get.
The Eagles would soon tie the game at the top of the second. After a lead-off double from Callaghan before senior Emily Demurius came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a ground out from fellow senior Bri Innamorato, Morrell would send Demurius home on a sacrifice bunt.
The Eagles would then take the lead at the top of the third. After a one-out double from Fournet, McGuire would send Fournet home on a fielding error to give the Eagles the lead. After freshman Ahnie Jumper came into pinch run for McGuire, sophomore Seana Mora would come in to pitch for Bilodeau.
After Clemens reached first on a fielder’s choice, Callaghan would hit an infield single before Innamorato drew a walk to load the bases for senior Lulu Newmark. The Pembrook Pines native would clear the bases with a triple, sending Clemens, Callaghan and Innamorato home.
The Eagles continued added another run in the fifth inning. After a two-out double from Callaghan, Innamorato would hit an RBI double, bringing in Callaghan.
The Eagles would add two more final runs in the seventh inning. After McGuire and Innamorato drew walks, Morrell would hit a two RBI double before being called attempting to get a triple.
White would get her eighth win after throwing a one hit complete game, giving up one unearned run while striking out nine batters.
"A masterful outing from Morgan set the tone for the day," said Deiros. "Once we tied the game in the second, we knew we were in good shape. Big two-out RBI extra-base hits from LuLu and Haley put the game away. Always tough to win on the road, especially in the A-SUN, so great job by our team."
Bilodeau earned her 10th loss of the season after throwing 2.1 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits.
Callaghan and Kelly were the only Eagles in the game that had more than one hit. Callaghan finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs score while Kelly was 2-for-3.
Fournet, McGuire, Innamorato, Morrell and Newmark had one hit each.
The Eagles will return to action to face Lipscomb for their last away conference series.
Head coach Dave Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to the mound to pitch against sophomore Alyssa Bilodeau.
The Dolphins would shake up White in the bottom of the first after an RBI single from Ragan, but it would be the only run and hit that the Dolphins would get.
The Eagles would soon tie the game at the top of the second. After a lead-off double from Callaghan before senior Emily Demurius came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a ground out from fellow senior Bri Innamorato, Morrell would send Demurius home on a sacrifice bunt.
The Eagles would then take the lead at the top of the third. After a one-out double from Fournet, McGuire would send Fournet home on a fielding error to give the Eagles the lead. After freshman Ahnie Jumper came into pinch run for McGuire, sophomore Seana Mora would come in to pitch for Bilodeau.
After Clemens reached first on a fielder’s choice, Callaghan would hit an infield single before Innamorato drew a walk to load the bases for senior Lulu Newmark. The Pembrook Pines native would clear the bases with a triple, sending Clemens, Callaghan and Innamorato home.
The Eagles continued added another run in the fifth inning. After a two-out double from Callaghan, Innamorato would hit an RBI double, bringing in Callaghan.
The Eagles would add two more final runs in the seventh inning. After McGuire and Innamorato drew walks, Morrell would hit a two RBI double before being called attempting to get a triple.
White would get her eighth win after throwing a one hit complete game, giving up one unearned run while striking out nine batters.
"A masterful outing from Morgan set the tone for the day," said Deiros. "Once we tied the game in the second, we knew we were in good shape. Big two-out RBI extra-base hits from LuLu and Haley put the game away. Always tough to win on the road, especially in the A-SUN, so great job by our team."
Bilodeau earned her 10th loss of the season after throwing 2.1 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits.
Callaghan and Kelly were the only Eagles in the game that had more than one hit. Callaghan finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs score while Kelly was 2-for-3.
Fournet, McGuire, Innamorato, Morrell and Newmark had one hit each.
The Eagles will return to action to face Lipscomb for their last away conference series.
FGCU Softball vs JU Recap
Bouncing from fifth to fourth place in the conference standings, the FGCU softball team (31-14, 6-5 A-SUN) took a doubleheader in the series against Jacksonville (23-23, 4-6 A-SUN) as the Eagles swept the Dolphins 6-0 and 6-5. With the wins, the Eagles are now 23-5 against the Dolphins.
"Our entire team – pitchers, catchers, defenders, hitters, coaches, and trainer did a great job staying engaged and with our plan," said head coach David Deiros.
For game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to the mound to face sophomore Alyssa Bilodeau.
The Eagles would get on the scoreboard first at the top of the first inning. After a lead-off single from senior Kelsey Huff, senior Ashley Swiderski would bring in Huff on an RBI double. After a single from junior Racquel Fournet and advanced to second on a groundout from senior Brittany McGuire, Swiderski would score on a wild pitch while Fournet advanced to third. Junior Brooke Clemens would then bring in Fournet with a sacrifice fly.
Going to the top of the fourth inning, the Eagles would continue to add runs to the scoreboard. After a two-out double from senior Brittany McGuire, Clemens would hit an RBI single to center and bring in McGuire. After freshman Taylor Bauman was hit by a pitch, freshman Farley Callaghan would hit a single to right, bringing in Clemens to make it 5-0 Eagles.
The Eagles would add one more run to the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a two-out single from freshman Haley Morrell and a walk drawn by sophomore Kate Kelly, Huff would bring in Morrell on an RBI single for the sixth and final run. Morell would make a game-saving diving catch at the bottom of the seventh to get the Eagles the win.
Randolph would earn her 13th win of the season after throwing a two-hit shutout while walking two batters and striking out five.
Bilodeau would be credited with her ninth loss of the season after throwing all seven innings, giving up six runs on 10 hits while walking two batters and striking out four.
Huff, Fournet, and McGuire were 2-for-4 each in the game with one run scored.
Clemens finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Swiderski, Callaghan and Morrell also had one hit each.
The Dolphins only hits came off the bats of the bats of sophomore Katelin Davis and senior Madison Ragan.
"I thought we got outplayed in every facet in game one," JU head coach Erica Ayers said. "Riley carved us up pretty good."
For game two, Deiros sent freshman Marissa Mesiemore to face sophomore Seana Mora.
The Dolphins would bring in the first run of game two in the bottom of the first inning off an RBI double from senior Heather Roberts.
Despite having scoring opportunities in the third and fourth inning, the Eagles remained scoreless until the fifth inning rally gave them a leading opportunity. After two-out back-to-back singles from Kelly and Huff, Swiderski would clock a two RBI double, giving the Eagles the lead. Fournet and McGuire would follow with back-to-back RBI doubles. Fournet’s double was her 41st in her career as she is nine away from passing Courtney Platt and Cheyenne Jenks (49) for most career doubles. Clemens would bring McGuire with an RBI single, giving the Eagles a 5-1 lead.
The Dolphins would then tie the game at the bottom of the fifth after an RBI single from Roberts, two-RBI single from senior Kristen Griffith, and a bunt single from sophomore Carolyn O'Neal, but the Eagles would take back the lead at the top of the seventh. After Huff drew a walk, Swiderski would hit an RBI triple to right bringing in Huff which would the deciding run.
Mesiemore would earn a no-decision after throwing 4.1 innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on three hits while walking three batters and striking out three.
"Our entire team – pitchers, catchers, defenders, hitters, coaches, and trainer did a great job staying engaged and with our plan," said head coach David Deiros.
For game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to the mound to face sophomore Alyssa Bilodeau.
The Eagles would get on the scoreboard first at the top of the first inning. After a lead-off single from senior Kelsey Huff, senior Ashley Swiderski would bring in Huff on an RBI double. After a single from junior Racquel Fournet and advanced to second on a groundout from senior Brittany McGuire, Swiderski would score on a wild pitch while Fournet advanced to third. Junior Brooke Clemens would then bring in Fournet with a sacrifice fly.
Going to the top of the fourth inning, the Eagles would continue to add runs to the scoreboard. After a two-out double from senior Brittany McGuire, Clemens would hit an RBI single to center and bring in McGuire. After freshman Taylor Bauman was hit by a pitch, freshman Farley Callaghan would hit a single to right, bringing in Clemens to make it 5-0 Eagles.
The Eagles would add one more run to the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a two-out single from freshman Haley Morrell and a walk drawn by sophomore Kate Kelly, Huff would bring in Morrell on an RBI single for the sixth and final run. Morell would make a game-saving diving catch at the bottom of the seventh to get the Eagles the win.
Randolph would earn her 13th win of the season after throwing a two-hit shutout while walking two batters and striking out five.
Bilodeau would be credited with her ninth loss of the season after throwing all seven innings, giving up six runs on 10 hits while walking two batters and striking out four.
Huff, Fournet, and McGuire were 2-for-4 each in the game with one run scored.
Clemens finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Swiderski, Callaghan and Morrell also had one hit each.
The Dolphins only hits came off the bats of the bats of sophomore Katelin Davis and senior Madison Ragan.
"I thought we got outplayed in every facet in game one," JU head coach Erica Ayers said. "Riley carved us up pretty good."
For game two, Deiros sent freshman Marissa Mesiemore to face sophomore Seana Mora.
The Dolphins would bring in the first run of game two in the bottom of the first inning off an RBI double from senior Heather Roberts.
Despite having scoring opportunities in the third and fourth inning, the Eagles remained scoreless until the fifth inning rally gave them a leading opportunity. After two-out back-to-back singles from Kelly and Huff, Swiderski would clock a two RBI double, giving the Eagles the lead. Fournet and McGuire would follow with back-to-back RBI doubles. Fournet’s double was her 41st in her career as she is nine away from passing Courtney Platt and Cheyenne Jenks (49) for most career doubles. Clemens would bring McGuire with an RBI single, giving the Eagles a 5-1 lead.
The Dolphins would then tie the game at the bottom of the fifth after an RBI single from Roberts, two-RBI single from senior Kristen Griffith, and a bunt single from sophomore Carolyn O'Neal, but the Eagles would take back the lead at the top of the seventh. After Huff drew a walk, Swiderski would hit an RBI triple to right bringing in Huff which would the deciding run.
Mesiemore would earn a no-decision after throwing 4.1 innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on three hits while walking three batters and striking out three.
Sophomore Morgan White would earn her seventh win after
throwing two-thirds of an inning while walking one batter and striking out one.
Mora would be credited with her 10th loss of the
season after throwing 4.2 innings, giving up five runs on nine hits while
striking out four batters.
Randolph would earn her first save of the season after
throwing one scoreless inning while walking two batters and striking out one.
Swiderski would finish 3-for-4 with three RBIs and one run scored
while Fournet finished 2-for-4 with one RBI, a run scored and a walk.
Huff, McGuire, Clemens, Callaghan and Kelly would have one
each.
"I'm really, really proud of how they bounced back in game two," Ayers said. "We just came up a play short. That was a great ballgame and how it should be. I really wish for our kids that we could have gotten that one."
"We've got a short night, but if we can play like we played in game two, I think we've got a shot," Ayers said.
"I'm really, really proud of how they bounced back in game two," Ayers said. "We just came up a play short. That was a great ballgame and how it should be. I really wish for our kids that we could have gotten that one."
"We've got a short night, but if we can play like we played in game two, I think we've got a shot," Ayers said.
The Eagles will attempt a sweep against Jacksonville on Sunday at 11 A.M.
FGCU SB vs FAU Recap
The FGCU softball team (291-12, 3-3 A-SUN) wrapped up their final non-conference games fighting in two extra-inning games as they split with FAU (22-21, 9-6 C-USA) falling 4-5 in game one before winning 4-1 in game two. With the split, the Eagles are now 4-6 against the Owls. The Eagles were led offensively by seniors Erica Ward and Ashley Swiderski while on the mound, freshman Taylor Bauman made national history for softball.
"I thought we played 16 really strong innings of softball," stated head coach David Deiros. "Our kids did a great job battling, we had a chance to win both games but to come out of there with a split is a testament to our kids. Congratulations to Morgan White for pitching a gem today and also congrats to Taylor Bauman for tying the NCAA single-season saves record tonight."
Beginning with game one, Derios sent Bauman to pitch against FAU’s Mia Olson. The Eagles would strike first. After senior Kelsey Huff drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, junior Racquel Fournet would bring in Huff on an RBI single to give the Eagles an early lead. The Owls, however would tie the score after Bauman gave up an RBI single to Madisyn Palmer.
The Owls would then take the lead in the second after Amanda Peck hit an RBI single, but the Eagles would retie the lead in the third. After freshman Marissa Mesiemore, who came in for Bauman in the second inning, drew a walk before fellow freshman Haley Morrell came in to pinch run for Mesiemore, Huff would move Morrell to second on sacrifice bunt before Morrell advance to third on a wild pitch. Senior Brittany McGuire would ground out while Morrell scored to tie the game at 2-2. The Owls would then regain the lead in the bottom of the third after another RBI single from Palmer.
The Eagles would then once again retake the lead in the fourth. After a two-out single from Bauman, Ward would hit a two-run homer to left center to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead. This was Ward’s first home run of the season.
The Eagles were able to hold the lead until the bottom of the seventh after Emily Lochten tied the game with an RBI sending the game to extra innings, but it would be in the favor of FAU as Palmer would hit an infield single and drive in Peck for the game-winner in the ninth.
Bauman would be credited with her third loss of the season after throwing 4.2 inning, giving up two runs on four hits while walking four and striking out two. Bauman was also 1-4 with a run scored.
Mesiemore would earn a no decision after throwing four innings, giving up three runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two.
Ward would finish 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Huff and Fournet finished with two hits each. Fournet added one RBI to the mix.
Sophmore Kate Kelly, Swiderski and freshman Farley Callaghan had one hit each.
Going into game two, Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to pitch against FAU’s Taylor Buckley.
With White on the mound, the Ocala native struck out five batters in the first three innings, but a wild pitch in the third gave the Owls a 1-0 lead. White was still able to finish the inning.
With Buckley still on the mound, the Owls continued to hold the Eagles scoreless until the sixth inning. After Kelly hit a lead-off single and advanced to second on a Huff groundout, Fournet would tie the game with an RBI double to tie the game at 1-1.
White remained in the game and struck out five more batters in the fifth and sixth inning combined before preventing the Owls from winning the game in seventh forcing a second extra innings game with the Texas Tiebreaker in effect.
The Eagles would then take the lead in the eighth. After back-to-back singles from Kelly and Huff, Swiderski would clock a three-run shot to left to give the Eagles a 4-1 lead. This was Swiderski’s sixth home run of the season.
Bauman would come in for White in the eighth inning for a save opportunity. Bauman was able to get the first out with ease. Despite giving up a one-out single to Palmer, the Jacksonville native was more than able to get Buckley to lineout to Swiderski for a double play for the win.
White would earn her sixth win of the season after throwing seven innings, giving up one run on three hits while walking three batters and finishing with a season and career-high 11 strikeouts.
Bauman would earn her 15th save of the season after throwing one scoreless inning while giving up one hit. Bauman now ties former Canisius pitcher Mallory Aldred for most saves in a single season. Bauman was also 1-for-3 at the plate.
Kelly and Swiderksi would finish with two hits each. Swiderski would go 2-for-4 with three RBIs while Kelly went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Huff and Fournet were each 1-for-4. Huff had one run scored while Fournet added one RBI.
The Eagles return to conference action as they face Kennesaw State on April 14-15.
"I thought we played 16 really strong innings of softball," stated head coach David Deiros. "Our kids did a great job battling, we had a chance to win both games but to come out of there with a split is a testament to our kids. Congratulations to Morgan White for pitching a gem today and also congrats to Taylor Bauman for tying the NCAA single-season saves record tonight."
Beginning with game one, Derios sent Bauman to pitch against FAU’s Mia Olson. The Eagles would strike first. After senior Kelsey Huff drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, junior Racquel Fournet would bring in Huff on an RBI single to give the Eagles an early lead. The Owls, however would tie the score after Bauman gave up an RBI single to Madisyn Palmer.
The Owls would then take the lead in the second after Amanda Peck hit an RBI single, but the Eagles would retie the lead in the third. After freshman Marissa Mesiemore, who came in for Bauman in the second inning, drew a walk before fellow freshman Haley Morrell came in to pinch run for Mesiemore, Huff would move Morrell to second on sacrifice bunt before Morrell advance to third on a wild pitch. Senior Brittany McGuire would ground out while Morrell scored to tie the game at 2-2. The Owls would then regain the lead in the bottom of the third after another RBI single from Palmer.
The Eagles would then once again retake the lead in the fourth. After a two-out single from Bauman, Ward would hit a two-run homer to left center to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead. This was Ward’s first home run of the season.
The Eagles were able to hold the lead until the bottom of the seventh after Emily Lochten tied the game with an RBI sending the game to extra innings, but it would be in the favor of FAU as Palmer would hit an infield single and drive in Peck for the game-winner in the ninth.
Bauman would be credited with her third loss of the season after throwing 4.2 inning, giving up two runs on four hits while walking four and striking out two. Bauman was also 1-4 with a run scored.
Mesiemore would earn a no decision after throwing four innings, giving up three runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two.
Ward would finish 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Huff and Fournet finished with two hits each. Fournet added one RBI to the mix.
Sophmore Kate Kelly, Swiderski and freshman Farley Callaghan had one hit each.
Going into game two, Deiros sent sophomore Morgan White to pitch against FAU’s Taylor Buckley.
With White on the mound, the Ocala native struck out five batters in the first three innings, but a wild pitch in the third gave the Owls a 1-0 lead. White was still able to finish the inning.
With Buckley still on the mound, the Owls continued to hold the Eagles scoreless until the sixth inning. After Kelly hit a lead-off single and advanced to second on a Huff groundout, Fournet would tie the game with an RBI double to tie the game at 1-1.
White remained in the game and struck out five more batters in the fifth and sixth inning combined before preventing the Owls from winning the game in seventh forcing a second extra innings game with the Texas Tiebreaker in effect.
The Eagles would then take the lead in the eighth. After back-to-back singles from Kelly and Huff, Swiderski would clock a three-run shot to left to give the Eagles a 4-1 lead. This was Swiderski’s sixth home run of the season.
Bauman would come in for White in the eighth inning for a save opportunity. Bauman was able to get the first out with ease. Despite giving up a one-out single to Palmer, the Jacksonville native was more than able to get Buckley to lineout to Swiderski for a double play for the win.
White would earn her sixth win of the season after throwing seven innings, giving up one run on three hits while walking three batters and finishing with a season and career-high 11 strikeouts.
Bauman would earn her 15th save of the season after throwing one scoreless inning while giving up one hit. Bauman now ties former Canisius pitcher Mallory Aldred for most saves in a single season. Bauman was also 1-for-3 at the plate.
Kelly and Swiderksi would finish with two hits each. Swiderski would go 2-for-4 with three RBIs while Kelly went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Huff and Fournet were each 1-for-4. Huff had one run scored while Fournet added one RBI.
The Eagles return to conference action as they face Kennesaw State on April 14-15.
FGCU Softball vs Upstate Series Recap
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.
"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.
FGCU Softball vs Upstate Preview
The FGCU softball team (27-7, 2-1 A-SUN) prepares for their next wave in A-SUN Conference play as they travel to Spartanburg to face USC Upstate (22-12, 3-3 A-SUN) for their second wave of conference play.
Last Time Out:
After splitting a series with Marshall, the Eagles played Stetson to open up their part of conference play winning a series against Stetson winning 2-0 and 9-5 in the first two games before falling 0-3 in the series finale.
The players of highlight for FGCU are juniors Riley Randolph and Racquel Fournet as they were both named A-SUN Pitcher (Randolph) and A-SUN Player (Fournet) of the Week.
In the series against Stetson, Randolph played in all three games throwing 13.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits while striking out 16 batters. In two of Randolph's games, she came in relief. Randolph is currently 12-2 with a 1.12 ERA, which is ranked 24th in the nation, and 84 strikeouts.
Despite not getting any hits in the series finale against Stetson, Fournet went 4-for-6 in the series with two triples, one home run and two RBIs. Fournet is currently batting .371 with four home runs and 25 RBIs.
Save Nation:
Save Nation:
Freshman Taylor Bauman continues her strong role as the official closer for the team. Bauman currently had 13 saves for the team. The Jacksonville native not only leads the team and the A-SUN, but is also No. 1 in the nation. Bauman is three saves away from breaking the single season record in saves. The record is currently set by Canisius' Mallory Aldred (15) in 2008.
Scouting Upstate:
The Spartans recently competed against NC State and Duke. The Spartans would fall 1-2 to the Wolfpack before splitting with the Blue Devils winning 3-1 in the first game before losing 5-6 in the second game.
During conference, Upstate lost a series against Kennesaw State (Gm 1: 1-2 L; Gm 2: 1-0 W; 0-1 L) before winning a series against Lipscomb (Gm 1: 4-0 W; Gm 2: 11-12 L; Gm 3: 2-0 W).
Junior Christina Biggerstaff leads the way on the mound. Biggerstaff is currently 10-7 with a 1.70 ERA and 147 strikeouts, which leads the A-SUN Conference. Currently in conference, Biggerstaff is 1-3, but in her last game against Duke, she threw eight innings while giving one run on six hits and walking three and striking out three.
Offensively, junior Ansley Gilstrap, senior Karla Beasley, and freshman Logan Morris lead the way.
Gilstrap is currently batting .306 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Gilstrap also leads the team with 28 stolen bases. Ansley went 0-for-5 two stolen bases in the series against Duke.
Beasley is currently batting .400 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. Beasley was 2-for-7 against Duke.
Morris is batting .366 with three home runs and a team-leading 23 RBIs. Morris was 2-for-7 against Duke.
Series History:
The Eagles are currently 10-19 overall against the Spartans. Last time both teams met, the Eagles fell to the Spartans five times last season after being swept in the season series and losing in the A-SUN Tournament Championship Game. The last Eagles wins against Upstate was on March 25, 2016 where they took the series 2-1 in Spartanburg (Gm 1: 3-0 W; Gm 2: 10-2 W; Gm 3: 4-5 L)
Current Standings:
As it sits, these are the current standings overall with conference rec:
1. Jacksonville (19-13, 3-0)
2. FGCU (27-7, 2-1)
3. Kennesaw (22-12, 2-1)
4. Upstate (22-12, 3-3)
5. Lipscomb (20-9, 1-2)
6. Stetson (21-12, 1-2)
7. UNF (20-17, 0-3)
The series will begin on March 30-31 with two games on March 30 at 4 P.M. and 6 P.M. before wrapping with a game on March 31 at 1 P.M., and live stats will be available for fans who are unable to attend.
Scouting Upstate:
The Spartans recently competed against NC State and Duke. The Spartans would fall 1-2 to the Wolfpack before splitting with the Blue Devils winning 3-1 in the first game before losing 5-6 in the second game.
During conference, Upstate lost a series against Kennesaw State (Gm 1: 1-2 L; Gm 2: 1-0 W; 0-1 L) before winning a series against Lipscomb (Gm 1: 4-0 W; Gm 2: 11-12 L; Gm 3: 2-0 W).
Junior Christina Biggerstaff leads the way on the mound. Biggerstaff is currently 10-7 with a 1.70 ERA and 147 strikeouts, which leads the A-SUN Conference. Currently in conference, Biggerstaff is 1-3, but in her last game against Duke, she threw eight innings while giving one run on six hits and walking three and striking out three.
Offensively, junior Ansley Gilstrap, senior Karla Beasley, and freshman Logan Morris lead the way.
Gilstrap is currently batting .306 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Gilstrap also leads the team with 28 stolen bases. Ansley went 0-for-5 two stolen bases in the series against Duke.
Beasley is currently batting .400 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. Beasley was 2-for-7 against Duke.
Morris is batting .366 with three home runs and a team-leading 23 RBIs. Morris was 2-for-7 against Duke.
Series History:
The Eagles are currently 10-19 overall against the Spartans. Last time both teams met, the Eagles fell to the Spartans five times last season after being swept in the season series and losing in the A-SUN Tournament Championship Game. The last Eagles wins against Upstate was on March 25, 2016 where they took the series 2-1 in Spartanburg (Gm 1: 3-0 W; Gm 2: 10-2 W; Gm 3: 4-5 L)
Current Standings:
As it sits, these are the current standings overall with conference rec:
1. Jacksonville (19-13, 3-0)
2. FGCU (27-7, 2-1)
3. Kennesaw (22-12, 2-1)
4. Upstate (22-12, 3-3)
5. Lipscomb (20-9, 1-2)
6. Stetson (21-12, 1-2)
7. UNF (20-17, 0-3)
The series will begin on March 30-31 with two games on March 30 at 4 P.M. and 6 P.M. before wrapping with a game on March 31 at 1 P.M., and live stats will be available for fans who are unable to attend.
FGCU Softball vs Stetson Recap
After a successful outing in non-conference play, the FGCU softball team (27-6, 2-0 A-SUN) opened up A-SUN Conference play with two wins over Stetson (20-12, 0-2 A-SUN). With the wins, the Eagles, who are receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25, are now 15-17 against the Hatters.
In addition, head coach Dave Deiros earned his 599th and 600th win in his 16th season as head coach for the Eagles.
In game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to pitch against junior Tori Perkins.
Not a surprise to many, the Eagles scored the first run. After the first two outs, junior Racquel Fournet would draw a walk, opening up a door for the Eagles to score. Junior Brooke Clemens would also follow with a walk before senior Ashley Swiderski reached first on a fielding error while Fournet took advantage of the error and scored the first run.
At the top of the fifth, Randolph got herself in a small fix after giving up a lead-off triple to freshman Lizzie Shubert, but it did not seem to phase the St. Pete native as she struck out freshman Devin Lewis and got senior Maggie Fritts and sophomore Blake Crews to groundout to end the top half of the inning.
The Eagles would then add an insurance run to the lead. After a lead-off triple from Fournet, Clemens would bring in Fournet on a sacrifice fly for the second run.
At the top of the seventh, Randolph had no problem. Despite giving up a one-out single, Randolph struck out two batters before and after the single before Fritts fouled out to end the game.
Randolph would earn her 11th win after throwing a four hit shutout while striking out eight batters and giving up no walks. This was Randolph's ninth game where she threw no walks as a starter.
Perkins would earn her sixth loss after throwing six innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out two.
Fournet was one of two Eagles that went perfect as she went 2-for-2 with two triples and two runs scored. Fournet was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game.
Clemens, sophomore Kate Kelly, senior Brittany McGuire, and freshman Haley Morrell also had one hit each.
In game two, Derios sent sophomore Morgan White to pitch against Stetson's freshman Jamie Tino.
In the first inning, the Hatters struck first. After giving up a lead-off single to freshman Kasey Fava, who then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, White would then walk junior Ashly Smith before both Fava and Smith attempting a successful double-steal with Fava scoring the first run. After White got sophomore Molly McLaughlin to popout, the Hatters would add another run on an RBI double from Shubert to make it 2-0, Stetson.
After giving up a walk to Lewis, Derios would send freshman Marissa Mesiemore to come in relief for White. Lewis would then advance to third on a wild pitch before junior Talli Sharp came in to pinch run. After Mesimore walked Fritts, Crews would hit a two-RBI single to make it 4-0 for the Hatters. Sophomore Linda Ross would then drive in Fritts for the fifth run on an RBI single before Fava grounded out to end the Eagles' bleeding.
The Eagles would then attempt to make a comeback. After one-out singles from senior Kelsey Huff and Fournet, Clemens would hit a double to left driving in Huff for the first run. Swiderski would follow with a bloop single to center bringing in Fournet for the second Eagles run.
After the Hatters failed to score in the second inning, the Eagles would soon find the strength they needed to gain the lead. Beginning with a lead-off double from Morrell, who then advanced to third on a wild pitch, Huff would bring in Morrell with an RBI single to right. With Huff on first, Fournet would have her time to shine again as the Windermere native clocked a two-run homer to center to tie the game at 5-5. It was Fournet's fourth home run of the season. The Hatters would make a pitching change as Perkins, who started the previous game, came in. Clemens would then hit a single before freshman Ahnie Jumper came in to pinch run. After Swiderski and McGuire reached base on back-to-back Hatter fielding errors, senior Lulu Newmark would clear the bases with a three-run triple to right, giving the Eagles an 8-5 lead.
The Eagles would add one more run in the fourth inning. After back-to-back singles from Clemens and Swiderski, McGuire would lay a sacrifice bunt to move the runners. After a passed ball occurred, Clemens would score the ninth Eagles run and the win.
"Just a great day for Riley Randolph for her to come in and pitch almost 12 innings of shutout ball, she did a fantastic job," said Deiros. "Racquel had an unbelievable day at the plate just swinging and I'm really proud of the kids and the way they were able to deal from coming back in that deficit in game two. Being down 5-0 looks like an unbelievable hole to get out of, but our kids scrapped and they made some immediate impacts. Once we got the lead it was time to go ahead and lock the door so we'll be ready to come out tomorrow and see if we can take all three."
Mesiemore would earn her ninth win of the season after throwing 2.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits while walking one batter.
White had a no-decision after throw one third of an inning.
Randolph threw 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out five batters.
Tino would be credited with her fifth loss of the season after 1.1 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits.
Four Eagles had two or more hits in the game: Huff was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI, Fournet was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, Clemens was 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI, and Swiderski was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Kelly, Newmark, and Morrell had one hit each. Newmark had three RBIs.
Up next, the Eagles attempt to go for the sweep as they face Stetson on Sunday at 1 P.M.
I was also thankful to get a photo with head coach Derios after the games.
In addition, head coach Dave Deiros earned his 599th and 600th win in his 16th season as head coach for the Eagles.
In game one, Deiros sent junior Riley Randolph to pitch against junior Tori Perkins.
Not a surprise to many, the Eagles scored the first run. After the first two outs, junior Racquel Fournet would draw a walk, opening up a door for the Eagles to score. Junior Brooke Clemens would also follow with a walk before senior Ashley Swiderski reached first on a fielding error while Fournet took advantage of the error and scored the first run.
At the top of the fifth, Randolph got herself in a small fix after giving up a lead-off triple to freshman Lizzie Shubert, but it did not seem to phase the St. Pete native as she struck out freshman Devin Lewis and got senior Maggie Fritts and sophomore Blake Crews to groundout to end the top half of the inning.
The Eagles would then add an insurance run to the lead. After a lead-off triple from Fournet, Clemens would bring in Fournet on a sacrifice fly for the second run.
At the top of the seventh, Randolph had no problem. Despite giving up a one-out single, Randolph struck out two batters before and after the single before Fritts fouled out to end the game.
Randolph would earn her 11th win after throwing a four hit shutout while striking out eight batters and giving up no walks. This was Randolph's ninth game where she threw no walks as a starter.
Perkins would earn her sixth loss after throwing six innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out two.
Fournet was one of two Eagles that went perfect as she went 2-for-2 with two triples and two runs scored. Fournet was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game.
Clemens, sophomore Kate Kelly, senior Brittany McGuire, and freshman Haley Morrell also had one hit each.
In game two, Derios sent sophomore Morgan White to pitch against Stetson's freshman Jamie Tino.
In the first inning, the Hatters struck first. After giving up a lead-off single to freshman Kasey Fava, who then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, White would then walk junior Ashly Smith before both Fava and Smith attempting a successful double-steal with Fava scoring the first run. After White got sophomore Molly McLaughlin to popout, the Hatters would add another run on an RBI double from Shubert to make it 2-0, Stetson.
After giving up a walk to Lewis, Derios would send freshman Marissa Mesiemore to come in relief for White. Lewis would then advance to third on a wild pitch before junior Talli Sharp came in to pinch run. After Mesimore walked Fritts, Crews would hit a two-RBI single to make it 4-0 for the Hatters. Sophomore Linda Ross would then drive in Fritts for the fifth run on an RBI single before Fava grounded out to end the Eagles' bleeding.
The Eagles would then attempt to make a comeback. After one-out singles from senior Kelsey Huff and Fournet, Clemens would hit a double to left driving in Huff for the first run. Swiderski would follow with a bloop single to center bringing in Fournet for the second Eagles run.
After the Hatters failed to score in the second inning, the Eagles would soon find the strength they needed to gain the lead. Beginning with a lead-off double from Morrell, who then advanced to third on a wild pitch, Huff would bring in Morrell with an RBI single to right. With Huff on first, Fournet would have her time to shine again as the Windermere native clocked a two-run homer to center to tie the game at 5-5. It was Fournet's fourth home run of the season. The Hatters would make a pitching change as Perkins, who started the previous game, came in. Clemens would then hit a single before freshman Ahnie Jumper came in to pinch run. After Swiderski and McGuire reached base on back-to-back Hatter fielding errors, senior Lulu Newmark would clear the bases with a three-run triple to right, giving the Eagles an 8-5 lead.
The Eagles would add one more run in the fourth inning. After back-to-back singles from Clemens and Swiderski, McGuire would lay a sacrifice bunt to move the runners. After a passed ball occurred, Clemens would score the ninth Eagles run and the win.
"Just a great day for Riley Randolph for her to come in and pitch almost 12 innings of shutout ball, she did a fantastic job," said Deiros. "Racquel had an unbelievable day at the plate just swinging and I'm really proud of the kids and the way they were able to deal from coming back in that deficit in game two. Being down 5-0 looks like an unbelievable hole to get out of, but our kids scrapped and they made some immediate impacts. Once we got the lead it was time to go ahead and lock the door so we'll be ready to come out tomorrow and see if we can take all three."
Mesiemore would earn her ninth win of the season after throwing 2.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits while walking one batter.
White had a no-decision after throw one third of an inning.
Randolph threw 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out five batters.
Tino would be credited with her fifth loss of the season after 1.1 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits.
Four Eagles had two or more hits in the game: Huff was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI, Fournet was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, Clemens was 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI, and Swiderski was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Kelly, Newmark, and Morrell had one hit each. Newmark had three RBIs.
Up next, the Eagles attempt to go for the sweep as they face Stetson on Sunday at 1 P.M.
I was also thankful to get a photo with head coach Derios after the games.
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