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VALDOSTA, Ga. — David Deiros wrapped his left arm around the shoulder of his junior Florida Gulf Coast University ace, Rachael Edinger, as they walked to the media room of Valdosta State University's softball complex Sunday night.

Edinger was sobbing and Deiros was consoling. But by the time they made it into the then-almost empty interview room, both had their heads down, their elbows on the table as shoulders lurched up and down.

They had nothing to hang their heads for. But the 3-0 loss against Florida Southern that sent them home for good after four straight Division II South Regional wins did seem like a crying shame.

After No. 3 FGCU -- which ousted top-seed Valdosta State, No. 2 Alabama-Huntsville, No. 6 Rollins College and No. 7 Barry University from the tournament -- squandered loaded bases with no outs in the top of the seventh of this double-elimination format against undefeated No. 4 Florida Southern, the Moccasins struck.

With runners at first and second, eight-hole Mocs hitter Leah English whacked a two-out, full-count Edinger pitch just over the left-center fence to finish the Eagles' season and send defending South champion Florida Southern (49-13) to the D-II NCAA Tournament in Akron, Ohio, next week, along with the other seven regional champs.

"I'm so proud of our kids and the way they played today, and I made a comment in the sixth inning that I thought we were more ready for the situation, I thought, as I was looking," Deiros said. "Florida Southern looked a little more uncomfortable because we were putting pressure on them.

"You have to be impressed with the way Florida Southern plays this game, so congratulations to them. I hope that they go out to Ohio and represent us well. This region was a tough battle. They earned the trophy, but they need to go and earn the national championship as well to represent how much of a battle this entire region was."

This was the last D-II game for FGCU (62-8), which moves to Division I's Atlantic Sun Conference next season and -- with the exception of the fast-track baseball and volleyball programs which can earn postseason berths in two years -- will not be eligible for an NCAA tourney spot for four years.

Before disaster -- in the form of English -- struck, Edinger had pitched marvelously, despite suffering from heat exhaustion following the 4-3 win against Barry just prior to this. Edinger cruised through six innings -- aided by a couple of dandy defensive outfield plays by Jessica Gary and Rachel Homan -- allowing only two harmless singles heading into the bottom of the seventh.

"I pretty much knew every one of these batters ever since Little League," said Edinger, a Lakeland native. "I've grown up around those girls. I knew what they could do, and I knew if I made a mistake, I was going to pay for it."

After a sprinting Homan's diving grab in center downed Sarah Kohlbrenner to start the bottom of the seventh, Jackie Leppla slapped a one out single just over the head of third baseman Carmen Paez and in front of leftfielder Jessica Rouse. Natalie Lang's sacrifice bunt moved Leppla to second as designated hitter Angela Williams waited on deck.

"You've got to give Leppla a lot of credit on that pitch because that was a changeup, down and away, almost an impossible pitch to hit, and she's able to lift it into short left field for a hit," Deiros said. "We thought we would get the force out at second, but I think Carmen made a great decision to go to first. It would've been too close a play. We had talked before Lang, that we were going to go ahead and go after English.

"It just happens we fell behind in the count and she made a nice swing."

After the intentional walk of Williams, English was up 2-1 in the count, then 3-2 before she hit the dramatic home run.

"My whole deal was I just didn't want to walk her and get the bases loaded," Edinger said. "I just knew I needed to throw a strike, and I pitched toward the corner and she just hit it."

Said Deiros: "The game teetered on one pitch for them and one pitch for us. The situation mandated that we walk Williams to give ourselves a force-out at all bases and to go after English, who doesn't run as well as Williams does. The last thing we wanted was to get at 3-2 and give the runners an opportunity to go. English made a good swing at a tough pitch because that ball was on her hands and she turned it nicely."

English said she was relaxed after Florida Southern coach Chris Bellotto calmed her with a joke on the way to the plate.

"I pretty much knew when I hit it (that it was over the fence)," English said. "I don't think anything can ever top that."

FGCU had its chances, even against three-time (going on four) All-American Megan Brown (32-8). Heading into the sixth, FGCU had but two hits. In the sixth, though, FGCU warmed to her. Shortstop Cheyenne Jenks plastered a shot toward left that was well over fence height but went wide of the pole by just a few feet. Jenks followed that disappointment with a single, and Carmen Paez moved her to second on a fielder's choice. The threat ended with a Jessica Rouse strikeout.

"As a pitcher, they're going to scare the living daylights out of you at the plate, so you try to surpress that as much as possible," said Brown of FGCU's lineup.

In the top of the seventh came a serious Eagles threat. Desiree Miller drew a lead-off walk (Desiree Lankford replaced her as a pinch runner). Natalie Johnson reached on an error by Leppla, the first baseman, who could not handle the throw from short after a ground ball. Lankford scooted to third, Johnson to second. Deiros pinch hit Hillary Johnson for Gary and she drew an intentional walk to load the bases (Gary then replaced her as a pinch runner, giving FGCU plenty of speed on the basepaths).

"When the bases were loaded, you just kind of keep your fingers crossed and hope your battery somehow finds a way to get it done," Bellotto said. "I was really proud of them for that."

What was Brown doing when the bases filled?

"Praying quite a bit," she said. "You just have to focus pitch to pitch. I know my teammates are behind me 100 percent. They're always back there for me, encouraging me."

Alisha Boyd's 3-2 liner down the right-field line landed foul by maybe a foot. She then grounded to Brown, who got Lankford at home. Deiros opted to pinch hit for slap-hitter Christina Piquette, going with freshman Jennifer Marietta. Brown struck her out. That sent No. 1 hitter Homan, who has been red-hot the last 20 games (in which she hit safely in each), to the plate. Homan fouled out just to the right of first on an inside pitch.

"Alisha had a great at-bat," Deiros said. "I can't give her enough credit for the way she swung the bat all day long. She gets a hit off Megan Brown -- a hard line-drive up the middle -- and the ball that she hit down the right-field line, a quarter-meter to the right and we're celebrating right now.

"Long and the short of it, we had three solid chances to drive in runs and we didn't get it done."

Brown allowed just three hits while striking out four and walking two.

"We knew exactly what we were going to get," Deiros said. "She deserves all the accolades she's received the last three years, and she's a warrior."

Edinger (29-3) took the loss after also surrendering just three hits while striking out none and walking two.

"She matched (Brown) pitch for pitch today," Deiros said. "Fantastic. Just absolutely unbelievable. This kid was sick before the game, sick before the Barry game. Throwing up in the bathroom. And we give her the ball. Didn't have time to warm up and she shuts (the last two Barry batters) down (in relief) without warming up before getting the save.

"I didn't fill my lineup card out until 20 minutes before the (Florida Southern) game, not knowing if she was going to go. But the way I know her, there was no way I was going to get the ball out of her hand. There is absolutely nobody we wanted in the circle than this kid. When the game's on the line, you want No. 8 to have the ball."

Bellotto was relieved.

"Florida Gulf Coast is a very, very good team, we know that," she said. "They hit the ball very well and they've got the pitching, so we knew we would have to bring our best game to try to win. Obviously neither team was knocking the ball all over the place."

She did not want to play an all-or-nothing rematch with the Eagles today.

"We didn't even want to talk about that," Bellotto said. "I think with a night's rest, it probably helps both teams at that point, but certainly the team that had to play two games rather than just one.

"We were glad to get this over with right now, to be honest with you."

FGCU 4, BARRY UNIVERSITY, 3

With FGCU smacking three homers in the first three innings, this looked to be a ho-hum rout.

It became a serious nail-biter.

FGCU started No. 2 pitcher Dana Frantz against Barry ace Amber Jack.

FGCU jumped to 2-0 in the second, when Miller followed a Rouse single with a shot over the left-field fence.

Barry bounced back in the top of the third, picking up a run when Christina DeTagle's bloop single to center scored Brittany Anderson, who had been hit by a pitch.

The Eagles, though, immediately countered, knocked Jack out of this game with a solo homer from Homan. Jenks took Casey Pyron's second pitch over the center-field wall for 4-1. The Eagles loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and a Miller single but could not cash in.

The Eagles cruised into the top of the seventh in front of 161 silent fans. Holli Davis led off with a grounder to third that was fielded cleanly by Paez. However, her throw was well over first baseman Natasha Johnson's head, and Davis took second. Pyron then mashed a two-run homer down the left-field line to slice to 4-3. Deiros stuck with Frantz, who gave up a single to Ali Perantoni prior to Anderson's fly ball that was caught by Homan on the center field warning track.

That's when Deiros went to Edinger. But one-spot hitter Shyla Rider singled to left putting runners on first and second.

Edinger, though, got DeTagle to pop out to her on a sacrifice bunt attempt, then fanned Ashley Loose to end this.

Each team had eight hits. Frantz ran her record to 29-4 by pitching 6.1 innings and striking out two while walking none.