University of North Florida
Jacksonville
UNF drubs JU in opener,
can't hang on in game 2
4/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 6, 2007
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The
University of North Florida and Jacksonville University
split a SunTrust River City Rumble doubleheader on
Friday night at JU with the Lady Ospreys winning the
opener 6-0 before falling 4-3 in the nightcap.
UNF (26-17, 4-4 A-Sun) freshman Devyn Findley rolled
through the JU lineup in the opener, allowing only one
hit, while helping herself with a sacrifice fly. JU (14-31,
3-5 A-Sun), however, rebounded in the nightcap when
Ashley Mora stroked her first home run of the season
to break open a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth.
Elizabeth Howell had a hit in both ends of the
doubleheader, while Gwen Williams drove in three
runs to lead the UNF offense.
UNF chipped away at the scoreboard in the opener,
scoring single runs in the first and third innings before
adding two runs in the both the fifth and sixth innings.
Kelli Rutenbar led the Lady Ospreys at the plate with a
2-for-4 game that included a run and a home run.
Rutenbar singled to lead off the game and scored the
first run of the contest when Williams drover her home
with a sacrifice fly to right.
Elizabeth Howell made it a 2-0 game in the third with a
single off the glove of JU pitcher Shannon Jensen (4-
12) that scored Christina Evans from second.
UNF finally blew the game open with four runs over
the fifth and sixth innings. UNF made it 3-0 when
Williams came into score on a Heather Hyde infield
single and a JU error that occurred on the same play.
Devyn Findley helped herself two batters later with a
sacrifice fly to right that plated Howell. Rutenbar finally
completed the scoring with a towering two-run home
run to left.
Howell finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate, scoring
a run and driving one home as well.
Findley (13-2) only allowed three baserunners in the
game, not surrendering a hit until the sixth while
striking out seven. She couldn't keep the momentum
going in the second game, however, leaving the game
after throwing 2.2 innings, surrendering three earned
runs on four hits.
After seeing her 11-game hitting streak come to an
end in the opening game, Williams launched a home
run to left field to begin the scoring in game two. JU
second baseman Pat Melo kept the third inning alive
with a two-out error, allowing Williams to take
advantage with her fourth home run of the season.
JU answered with three runs in the bottom of the third,
taking their first lead after a Tori Ahern wild pitch
allowed Melo to score from third.
UNF countered in the fifth, tying the game when
Heather Hyde drove home Evans with a sacrifice fly to
right.
That's where the game stood until Mora deposited a
ball beyond the left field wall to hand Ahern (5-5) the
loss. UNF went quietly in the top of the seventh
against Katie Buell (5-7).
UNF returns to the field next Friday when it hosts
Gardner-Webb in a 4 p.m. doubleheader at the UNF
Softball Complex.
