FORT MYERS, FL—With the scored tied at 1-1, heading into the bottom of the eighth, No. 22 Florida Gulf Coast scored a pair of runs and held on for a 3-1 victory over visiting NJIT in ASUN Conference action Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.
Tied a 1-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth, Christian Proffitt singled to center field to start off the inning, resulting in an NJIT pitching change. Marc Coffers laid down a bunt single, putting runners on first and second for the Eagles.
A sacrifice bunt by Gage Morey, moved runners up, loading the bases for the Eagles with no outs. An RBI sacrifice fly to center field by Richie Garcia put the home team ahead, 2-1.
Highlander relief pitcher
Tommy Derer struck out Kohl Gilmore but Eagles Morey and Coffers moved up a base on the strikeout. Coffers scored the Eagles third run of the game, stealing home, giving the Eagles a 3-1 lead.
FGCU moves to 24-6 overall, 2-0 in the ASUN, while the Highlanders drop below .500, 11-12, 1-4 in the ASUN. The two teams will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday at 12pm with sophomore RHP
Tyler Stafflinger on the mound for the Highlanders.
Eagles LHP starter Josh Dye had a no-decision, pitching the first 7.0 innings of action, allowing seven hits and just one Highlander run, fanning three batters.
Trey Vickery picked up his second win of the season, moving to 2-0, pitching the eighth inning for the Eagles while Kenton Hering closed the game in the ninth, notching his fifth save of the season, striking out three Highlander batters.
Garcia finished 1-for-3 with one RBI while LF Eli Lovell drove one Eagles run, finishing 1-for-3, including one run scored.
NJIT RHP
Sean Lubreski took the loss, dropping to an even 2-2 on the season, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing four hits and two runs (both earned) while striking out a pair of Eagle batters.
Derer pitched the eighth inning for the Highlanders, giving up one run, one hit while striking out one Eagle batter.
Freshmen DH
Bryce Short drove in the lone Highlander run in the top of the fourth on an RBI double to right field, scoring
Michael Anastasia, who reached first on a walk. Classmate C
Paul Franzoni combined for a pair of singles, finishing 2-for-3 while five different Highlanders recorded one hit.
Senior
Jesse Uttendorfer stolen base Saturday tied the NJIT Division I record (49) with career stolen bases with
Ed Charlton (2012-15).