FORT MYERS, Fla. _ The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles scored three times in the bottom of the eighth on Friday afternoon to overtake the University of Central Bears and take the ASUN series opener 8-6 at Swanson Stadium.

UCA (13-16, 4-5) had taken a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning before FGCU (13-14, 6-4) tied it with a single run in the bottom of the inning. The Bears put up another run in the top of the eighth to go back in front 6-5 but two singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Eagles.

A walk to Robert Moya tied the game at 6-6. A sacrifice fly by Harrison Povey and an RBI single by Javier Gorostola accounted for the final two runs.

UCA out-hit FGCU 11-8 in the first meeting between the teams, but also committed an uncharacteristic four errors. Only five of FGCU's eight runs were earned.

In the five-run seventh, UCA got a lead-off home run from first baseman Jagger Schattle, a two-run single by right fielder Kade Seldomridge and a two-run double to the left-field corner by second baseman Bryce Cermenelli.

  Shortstop Mason King had a sacrifice fly to score pinch runner Tanner Leonard in the eighth to give the Bears their last lead at 6-5.

Schattle, A.J. Mendolia and Zeb Allen had two hits each for UCA, while Cermenelli and Seldomridge both had a pair of RBIs. UCA starter Jesse Barker went 6.0 innings, striking out 8 and allowing 2 earned runs and left with the Bears in front.

Game 2 of the series is set for 1 p.m. (CST) Saturday.