UNF closes tournament with 2 losses

Wednesday, March 12

Athens, Ga.

10 a.m.

University of North Florida

East Carolina

Kara Rutenbar scored a run in each game Wednesday.

3/12/2008 4:00:57 PM | Softball

Lady Ospreys fall to East Carolina, UGA

By: Shawn LaFata

East Carolina Box Score

Georgia Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of North Florida softball team couldn't hold onto a pair of early leads Wednesday, closing out the Bulldog Invitational with two losses.

The Lady Ospreys (16-11) held a 3-0 advantage against East Carolina, only to watch that slip away in a 5-3 loss before scoring the first two runs of the game against 20-th-ranked Georgia in a 10-2 loss.

Ashley Parenteau and Kara Rutenbar scored a run in both games, while Ashley Battaglia had three hits on the day to lead the UNF offense.

Three run leads in the sixth inning were not a safe thing this week between UNF and East Carolina. The Lady Ospreys overcame a 3-0 deficit on Tuesday, scoring six runs in the sixth to defeat ECU 6-3. The Pirates turned the tables on UNF one day later, bouncing back from a 3-0 deficit of its own to score four runs in the top of the sixth.

UNF scored a pair of runs in the first inning on a Battaglia RBI single and added one more in the second when Parenteau drove home Lauren Pulling. The Lady Ospreys had plenty of opportunities to add to that advantage, but hit into a pair of double plays and had a runner thrown out at the plate.

East Carolina finally capitalized in the sixth. Stacey Andrews started the scoring with a two run home run to make a 3-2 game. UNF starter Devyn Findley was chased from the game one hitter later and Tori Ahern was unable to preserve the lead, giving up a pair of doubles and allowing the final two runs of the game to come across on a Kaui Tom double.

Ahern didn't get much support from her defense in the seventh, allowing East Carolina to tack on another run.

Brooke Swann came on in the sixth inning to clamp down the win for ECU, earning her second save of the year.

Battaglia was able to get the best of Swann on Tuesday, hitting a grand slam to put UNF ahead in the bottom of the sixth. She had a chance to duplicate that feat after Findley kept the seventh inning alive with a single that loaded the bases. Swann, however, was able to strike Battaglia out to end the game.

Battaglia and Pulling each had a pair of hits to lead the Lady Osprey offense.

UNF took another early lead against Georgia, scoring two runs in the first inning of play on RBI singles by Findley and Battaglia. Parenteau led off the game with a walk before Kara Rutenbar followed her with a walk. Both of them eventually scored to give UNF the early boost.

Georgia answered with a run in the bottom of the second and took the lead with a pair of runs in the third on an Alisa Golder double that scored a pair. The Bulldogs added six more in the fourth – five of which were unearned – to finally chase Ahern (7-5) from the game. The Bulldogs added a single run in the sixth to close the scoring.

Rutenbar led the Lady Ospreys at the plate with a 1-for-3 performance that included a run.

The Lady Ospreys open conference play this week as well as their 2008 home slate. UNF will host Lipscomb in a pair of games Friday before welcoming Mercer on Saturday. Both doubleheaders can be seen live on ASUN.TV.