University of North Florida
BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN
UNF trades shutouts
with Birmingham-Southern
3/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of North Florida softball team traded shutouts with Birmingham-Southern on Friday with the Lady Ospreys falling in the first game 2-0 before rebounding for a 5-0 win in game two.
UNF (21-14) right hander Katie Brosky threw a two- hitter in the nightcap, not surrendering a hit until the sixth inning of play. She did not allow a walk and struck out three Panthers (14-19) to help UNF earn the split and win its third game on a four-game swing through Birmingham.
Christina Evans led the offense with three hits on the day. Evans - who moved from her usual centerfield position to second base due to an injury in the UNF infield - drove home two runs and scored a pair while not committing an error in the field.
"Katie pitched a good game and we made some nice adjustments," UNF head coach Sonya Wilmoth said. "You have to give a lot of credit to Christina Evans for coming in and playing second base after only practicing at that position for an inning and a half this week."
After not being able to solve the Bethney Reynoldson (10-10) riddle in the pitching circle for the first nine innings of play, UNF finally got to the Birmingham- Southern right hander in the top of the third of game two. Lauren Pulling started UNF's two-run rally with a base hit to lead off the inning. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt then came around to score on a Christina Evans double to left-center. Kelli Rutenbar brought Evans home one batter later with a double down the left field line.
UNF finally broke the game open in the top of the seventh with three runs.
Evans started the scoring with a base hit to left that bought home Kara Rutenbar to make it 3-0 and chase Reynoldson from the circle. The Lady Ospreys added two more unearned runs to their total before Brosky (8- 7) closed the door in the bottom of the seventh.
Pulling finished the game 2-for-3 with a run.
Birmingham Southern scored an unearned run in the third inning of the opener then made it a 2-0 game in the bottom of the fourth. Blaes Schmissrauter led off the inning with a base hit, then stole second to put herself into scoring position. Anne Lawrence eventually brought her home with a two-out base hit to left.
The loss was the first for Devyn Findley (9-2) since Feb. 16. She surrendered a walk in the loss, while allowing one earned run on five hits to go along with three strikeouts.
Reynoldson was in control from the first pitch for BSC, striking out nine Lady Ospreys while allowing only two hits and hitting a batter. UNF put only one runner in scoring position when Evans reached on a one-out single in the top of the first before advancing to second on an Elizabeth Howell groundout.
"I think we are going to regret losing that first game in the long run," Wilmoth said. `No facet of our game was working."
Gwen Williams had UNF's only other hit.
UNF returns home next week when it hosts Bethune- Cookman Wednesday at 3 p.m.
