Late rally falls short against Georgia
Robert Moya’s four-hit game and Evan Dempsey’s late heroics were not enough as the Florida Gulf Coast University baseball team fell 10-9 in game one of the four-game series to the University of Georgia this afternoon from Foley Field in Athens, Ga.
The Eagles (4-5) wasted no time in the top of the first as it plated five runs to take an early lead. It all started when Dempsey singled to left field on a 0-2 count and later moved to second when Mac Moise was hit by the first pitch he saw. An Eagles’s double steal allowed both runners to advance 90 feet and a throwing error by the Georgia catcher trying to get Dempsey at third allowed him to score to make it, 1-0. Following a strikeout, Moya singled to left sending Moise to third with one down. FGCU loaded the bases when Javier Gorostola walked on four straight pitches.
With bases loaded and one out, Nathan Gagnon singled to left for the team’s third hit of the frame to drive in Moise to make it 2-0 and keep the bases full of Eagles. FGCU pushed its lead to 4-0 off Aidan Corn’s two-run single to right, which sent Gorostola to third. The Eagles played small ball when Keaton Kangas laid down a sac bunt to score Gagnon to make it 5-0 before the inning ended.
Georgia (10-1) was able to get one of the runs back in the bottom of the third and three in the fifth to make it, 5-4.
The Bulldog pitching held FGCU scoreless for four straight innings following the five-run first, but that did not last long as the Eagles plated two runs in the sixth to go up 7-4 off of Harrison Povey’s two-run home run to right.
The Eagles lead didn’t last as Georgia grabbed its first lead of the game when it pushed five runs across on six hits to go in front, 9-7.
FGCU got one of the two runs back in the top of the eighth when Moya drilled a home run to straightaway center to make it a one-run game.
The Eagles found themselves down to their final strike of the game in the ninth with a man on when Dempsey tripled to score pinch hitter Jaret Nelson to tie the game at nine.
The Bulldogs in the bottom of the ninth loaded the bases with no outs and a fielder’s choice scored the winning run.
Moya finished the game going 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored, an RBI, and a home run, Teammate Dempsey was the other Eagle with multiple hits as he was 3-for-6 with a triple, a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
Povey and Gagnon each tallied the team’s other two extra-base hits with Povey recording his team-leading third home run of the season. Gagnon registered his first double of the year.
Eagle starter Justin Henschel scattered three hits throughout two innings of work while striking out one and walking one. Reliever Leo Giannoni took the loss to fall to 0-1 on the campaign.
FGCU is back in action tomorrow when it faces Georgia in a doubleheader with game one starting at 2 p.m.
