FORT MYERS, Fla. (Interstat) — The Indiana State Sycamores, battered by a 17-run defeat just a day earlier, constructed an early five-run lead and then withstood a relentless offensive assault from Florida Gulf Coast to secure a 5-4 victory over the Eagles on Wednesday evening at Swanson Stadium.

The win, which evened the midweek series, improved Indiana State to 4-5 overall, while Florida Gulf Coast suffered its first loss of the season, falling to 8-1.

The most critical phase of the game was its outset, as Indiana State ambushed Florida Gulf Coast pitching for all five of its runs in the first two innings. The Sycamores sent nine men to the plate in a chaotic top of the first. After a walk and a single, Josue Beck drove in the first run with a double. Another run scored on a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly by Luis Martinez plated Beck to make it 3-0 before an out was recorded.

Indiana State added two more in the second on a daring double steal, with Herb Ortiz stealing home and Randy Estrella taking third on a throwing error, and an unearned run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

That early cushion proved vital as the Eagles’ lineup, which amassed 15 hits, chipped away but repeatedly stranded runners. FGCU left 12 men on base and was 3 for 16 with runners in scoring position.

Jeremy Comer led the Eagles’ offense, launching a solo home run in the second inning, his third of the season, and adding an RBI single in the seventh that pulled FGCU within a run at 5-4. Cole Lasher went 3 for 5 with an RBI, and Alex Gonzalez had four hits.

The Sycamores’ bullpen, however, delivered 4 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless relief to seal the win after starter Breyllin Suriel labored through 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs. Colby Morse earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief, striking out three. Justin Hoff recorded an out in the seventh, and Spencer Johnsen earned the save with two perfect innings to close the game, striking out one.

Florida Gulf Coast’s bullpen kept the comeback alive after the rocky start. Following starter Logan Eisenbarth, who allowed one earned run over 2 1/3 innings, Hyatt Richardson was dominant with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Levent Eldem and Ashton Pocol each added scoreless frames with five combined strikeouts.

The Eagles threatened in the ninth against Johnsen, putting the tying and winning runs on base with two outs via singles from Gonzalez and Kaleb Cayden. But Johnsen induced a game-ending swinging strikeout from Lasher, stranding the potential tying run at third base.

The victory defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which had simulated a 7-4 Eagles win, though its ELO rating system gave Indiana State a slight probability edge.

Indiana State looks ahead to a three-game series against Penn State in Nassau, Bahamas, beginning Friday. Florida Gulf Coast continues its homestand with a three-game set against Boston College starting Friday.