Monday, February 28, 2011

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Behind seven strong innings from Atlantic Sun preseason Pitcher of the Year Richie Erath (West Palm Beach, Fla./West Palm Beach Central HS), the FGCU baseball team picked up a 5-1 win over Big Ten foe Illinois in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.

Erath’s 97-pitch afternoon featured five strikeouts as he picked up his 15th career win. The West Palm Beach, Fla. native scattered eight hits while giving up just one run. Erath finished the outing with five straight scoreless innings.

The win moves FGCU to 3-4 on the young season as it prepares to host its second straight Big Ten team on Wednesday evening. Michigan will visit Swanson Stadium for a single game on Wednesday, March 2. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

The 10-hit afternoon by the Eagle offensive featured a season-best four extra-base hits which all came in the form of doubles. Freshman Sean Dwyer (Leesburg, Fla./Tavares HS) supplied one of the two-baggers in his 2-for-4 afternoon, while leadoff man Stephen Wickens (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair Secondary) also went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Senior catcher Robert Greene (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) had a solid all-around game with a two-run single in the seventh, while throwing out a runner on a steal attempt and picking off a runner at first.