Saturday, February 19, 2011

FORT MYERS, Fla. – After opening the evening with a 10-0 win against BIG EAST rival Georgetown, the FGCU softball team dropped its night cap against Big Ten foe Michigan State, 12-3, on the first day of the Homewood Suites/Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Tournament on Friday.

The split drops the Eagles’ record to 3-4 on the early season, heading into Saturday’s match-ups against Saint Louis (4-3) and the SEC’s South Carolina (4-3) at 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., respectively.

In the opener, FGCU loaded the bases in the second inning with no outs after walks by freshman Emily Lanier (St. Cloud, Fla./Harmony) and sophomore Chelsea Yates (Boynton Beach, Fla./Park Vista) and a single from sophomore Tiffani Upchurch (Lake Wales, Fla./Lake Wales). Leadoff hitter, freshman Tori Williams (Dunnellon, Fla./Dunnellon) stepped into the batter’s box and slapped a single up the middle of the infield to score Lanier. Freshman Jessica Barnes (Winter Haven, Fla./Haines City) ripped a three-run triple down the left field line, clearing the bases and giving the Blue and Green a 4-0 lead. Barnes then scored FGCU’s fifth and final run of the inning on an illegal pitch.

The Blue and Green tacked on another run in the top of the fifth inning (6-0) when Yates, who reached base on a bunt single, came across the plate after redshirt sophomore Kayla Gabel (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins/State College of Florida) earned a walk with the bases full.

FGCU wrapped up the shutout by scoring four runs in the top of the seventh frame. Barnes started things off with a single and quickly scored after senior Courtney Platt (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast) tripled to right centerfield (7-0). Platt came home on a wild pitch and Brittney Garabedian (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) scored (9-0) after a double from Nicole Boswell (Jacksonville, Fla./Bartram Trail), who crossed the plate on an error from the right fielder to close out the seventh inning.

Sophomore Stephanie Sullivan (Venice, Fla./Venice) (2-0) got the start on the mound, pitching a complete game shutout with five hits, one walk and three strikeouts.