Momentum makes or breaks a collegiate athletics program.
Although the Eagles entered the ASUN Baseball Championship first round with a .533 ASUN record, they won six of their last seven in-conference series to solidify the tournament’s third seed. They held off Lipscomb, 7-6, after a six-run eighth inning to advance to the second round of postseason play on Tuesday night at Melching Field at Conrad Park.
Evan Dempsey, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, started for the Eagles. Dempsey went into the game with 57.2 innings pitched, 62 strikeouts and a 1.51 ERA (earned run average). Dempsey pitched six shutout innings with one walk and nine strikeouts.
The first five innings of the game went scoreless. Lipscomb (25-30, 17-13 ASUN) and FGCU came close on multiple occasions, with batters striking out swinging whenever runners were in scoring position.
However, FGCU (27-28, 16-14 ASUN) caught the hot hand first, with Mac Moise and left fielder Nathan Gagnon getting aboard with walks. On the following at-bat, Dempsey brought Moise off an RBI ground-out to second base for the Eagles’ first run, 1-0.
A fielding error by the Bisons’ third baseman, David Coppedge, allowed second baseman Cayden Hessemeyer to get on base and Gagnon in for a run. With two runs in and Hessemeyer aboard, first baseman Jaret Nelson homered deep to left, creating a 4-0 lead for the Eagles.
FGCU’s scoring run continued in the sixth inning, with Gagnon and Dempsey bringing in an unearned RBI each.
Preston Rodgers, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, came in as the reliever for Dempsey in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Rodgers allowed four earned runs and was pulled in the seventh with bases loaded and no outs.
Ryland Bozenhard, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, came in as the second reliever of the game for the green and blue. With two infield errors from the Eagles, Bozenhard kept battling and shut the Bison down with just two unearned runs.
With the score tied at 6-6, Moise led the charge in the eighth frame, drawing a walk to get the tie-breaking runner aboard. Gagnon recorded a sacrifice bunt to advance Moise on the next at-bat. McKee broke the tie, singling up the middle, to bring Moise in for the RBI and the 7-6 lead.
Ashton Pocol, a junior right-handed pitcher, came in at the bottom of the eighth inning to close the game, 7-6, for the Eagles. He recorded 1.2 innings pitched and held off the bison, recording his fifth save of the season.
With the win, FGCU will face No.1 Stetson, the Graphite Division champions, in the second round of the ASUN Baseball Championship on Thursday, May 22, at 6:00 pm on ESPN+.
