UNF finishes Patriot Invitational 6-0

Sunday, March 13

Florence, S.C.

12:00 PM

University of North Florida

Valdosta State

3/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

FLORENCE, S.C (March 13, 2005) - The University of North Florida softball team closed out the Patriot Invitational with a perfect 6-0 record, closing the tournament out with wins against Presbyterian and Valdosta State on Sunday.

The Lady Ospreys (20-4) opened the day with a 7-0 win against Presbyterian before closing it out with a 5-2 win against Valdosta State.

"Overall this was one of the best tournaments we've ever had," UNF head coach Sonya Wilmoth said. "We played well in all aspects of the game this weekend. It's good to go on the road and end up 6-0."

North Florida didn't give up a run until the final inning of play on Sunday.

UNF's six wins in the tournament came from two freshmen - Tori Ahern and Jessica Sexton - and a sophomore - Randalyn Rogers.

UNF continued to hang crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the opener, scoring three runs in the second and third innings to take a 6-0 lead. Alisha Phillips began the scoring with a three-run home run in the bottom of the second.

Phillips topped off the scoring in the bottom of the third, reaching on a fielder's choice that drove home Kelli Rutenbar. Gwen Williams started the scoring with a bases loaded single that brought home Rutenbar and Caitlin Miller.

UNF added an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to complete its scoring.

Williams led UNF in the opener with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, while Laura Hanstein was 1-for-2.

Ashley Parenteau's 12-game hitting streak came to an end in the win, but Ahern (10-2) continued her streak of 35 innings without allowing a run, before adding a third of an inning to that streak with a save against Valdosta State. She finished the Patriot Invitational with a 3-0 record, allowing only 11 hits in 19 innings of work.

Parenteau committed her first two errors as a Lady Osprey against Valdosta State after going the first 23 games (164.1 innings) of the season without a miscue.

She more than made up for those errors with a grand slam home run in the bottom of the second inning that got UNF off to a 4-0 lead against VSU. The round-tripper was her fourth of the season and third at the Patriot Invitational. It also looked very similar to a home run she hit earlier in the week against Valdosta State, landing just beyond the fence in right-center. That home run was a three run shot which tied up a game 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh.

Parenteau finished Sunday's game against Valdosta 3-for-4 at the plate.

UNF loaded the bases again in the bottom of the fifth with nobody out, but only got one run out of the inning on a Laura Hanstein sacrifice fly that scored Rogers.

The Lady Ospreys were one out away from closing out the tournament with six shutouts, until Valdosta struck for a pair of two-out runs in the seventh against Jessica Sexton (2-0). Ahern struck out Rachel Bailey to end the game and earn her first save.

The Lady Ospreys return to action next weekend when they travel to Kennesaw, Ga., for the Kennesaw State Invitational.