KENNESAW, Ga. – The FGCU softball team clinched a spot Saturday in next week's 2023 ASUN Championship with a doubleheader sweep of Kennesaw State, winning 3-1 and 3-0 at Bailey Field.
Entering the day, FGCU only needed to win one of its two games against the Owls -- or have North Florida lose to Jacksonville -- to solidify its slot. The Eagles took matters into their own hands, taking care of business in game one.
FGCU also locked up the No. 4 seed in the double-elimination main bracket, and will play the winner of the second play-in game between fifth-seeded North Alabama and the eighth seed -- which is still to be determined -- on Wednesday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. in DeLand, Fla. Saturday's doubleheader sweep helped FGCU (31-23, 13-10 ASUN) eclipse the 30-win plateau for the first time since 2018.
"We knew what we needed to do coming in and did just that," said FGCU head softball head coach David Deiros. "Proud of our focus in controlling our own fate. Angie and Baylee provided some quality innings from the circle and we executed our offensive game plan in timely situations. Looking forward to capping off the series Sunday and competing in the ASUN Championship next week."
Junior Angelina Bonilla (Coral Gables, Fla./Coral Gables HS) tossed her eighth complete game of the season in game one: stifling the Owls for six hits, allowing just one run, surrendering no walks, and tying a career high of seven strikeouts -- giving her 100 punch-outs and her 10th win on the campaign.
The Owls' lone game-one run and only run of the day was fueled by an Eagles error in the fourth.
In the top half of the same inning, senior Neely Peterson (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Cypress Creek HS/Colorado State & Santa Fe College) executed a safety squeeze to perfection for an RBI -- as sophomore Kayleigh Roper (Venice, Fla./Venice HS/Michigan State) drove in graduate Tayli Filla (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS/USF) for FGCU's second run.
Sophomore Sam Leski (Clearwater, Fla./Calvary Christian HS) missed out on her first homer of the season by a mere couple feet, but her left-field single off the wall brought home freshman Nikki Gibson to recapture a 2-run advantage for the Eagles in the fifth, 3-1.
Senior Baylee Haggard (Naples, Fla./Palmetto Ridge HS/Florida SouthWestern State & South Florida State College) almost went the distance in game two for FGCU. Haggard pitched six innings with two strikeout and just one hit in the ledger. Bonilla was credited with her second save of the season by tossing the final frame in relief of Haggard (6-3), combining for the one-hit shutout.
FGCU struck early courtesy of a first-inning bloop single by redshirt sophomore Meagan Ricks (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven HS). The Eagles later pulled the small-ball playbook back out once again in the fifth as Filla executed a RBI sacrifice bunt, making it 2-0 Green & Blue.
The very next batter, Peterson blasted a line shot through the infield to plate freshman Emily Chiarella (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS) and gave FGCU an insurance run its eventual 3-0 victory.
The Owls managed to bring the tying run up to the plate in the seventh, but the Eagles shut the door with Bonilla for their 11th shutout of the season. FGCU is 27-1 when holding the leading heading into the final inning of play.
FGCU eyes its first ASUN series sweep of the season in the series finale at 11 a.m. Sunday, a matchup that will also be streamed on KSU Owl Network.
COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball,
David Deiros is in his 21st season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the ground up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 737-420-3 (.635) record, gone 189-119 (.614) in the ASUN, had 16 seasons with a winning record and nine campaigns of 35+ wins. Deiros has also led the Eagles to three ASUN regular season championships (2008, 2012, and 2016) and one ASUN Tournament title (2012). In 2012, FGCUdefeated No. 5 Florida in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Last season (2022), FGCU took down both No. 8 Texas and No. 10 Florida once again. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-Up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-Up Gulf Coast High School in Naples.
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCUCampus Food Pantry (https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 98 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 48 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Nine FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (No. 20 in 2021-22 and No. 22 in 2022-23), baseball (No. 15 in 2023), beach volleyball (No. 20 in 2022), and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as five of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green & Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.67 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2022 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 27 consecutive semesters. The past seven semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
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