University of North Florida
BELMONT
UNF recovers to split doubleheader
3/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 31, 2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The University of North Florida of North Florida softball team continued to have its ups and downs on the road Saturday, splitting a conference doubleheader at Belmont.
UNF (25-16, 3-3 A-Sun) dropped the opener 3-2 before rallying behind Devyn Findley for a 5-1 victory in the second game. The split brought UNF's record to 5-10 at opponents' fields this season.
Elizabeth Howell had a pair of doubles and three hits overall in the nightcap, while Gwen Williams went 3-for-7 at the plate for the day with a home run.
The Lady Ospreys opened the scoring in game two when Howell led off the top of the second with her first of two doubles. UNF eventually loaded the bases from there before Howell came into score on a Findley groundout.
UNF added two more to its total in the third thanks to Howell's second double, which drove home Kelli Rutenbar and Christina Evans.
Gwen Williams added a run in the fifth with a solo home run to left-center and extended her hitting streak in the process to 11 games.
Howell kept the UNF rally going in the fifth, following Williams with a base hit before moving to third on an error and scoring on an Ashley Parenteau base hit.
Kelli and Kara Rutenbar each had a pair of hits, as UNF pounded out 10 hits in the contest.
Findley (12-2) allowed only one unearned run in winning her third straight while surrendering three hits.
UNF's road woes continued in the opener with a 3-2 loss. The Lady Ospreys could only muster four hits off Bruins' starter Jennifer Batte (1-9) who earned her first win of the season, not allowing a walk and striking out one.
Kelli Rutenbar provided the only offensive fireworks for UNF with a two-run home run to left center. Williams had two of UNF's four hits, while Amy Higgs collected the other hit and scored on Rutenbar's home run.
Belmont rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a pair of runs in the bottom of the second before breaking the tie after Higgs let a ball slip through her legs in left field, allowing Meghan Pipkin to score all the way from first on a two-out base hit to left.
Katie Brosky (8-9) suffered the loss for UNF, giving up six hits and not allowing a walk.
The Lady Ospreys are back in action on Friday when they travel across town to take on Jacksonville in a SunTrust River City Rumble matchup.
