University of North Florida
Florida Gulf Coast
UNF trades punches with A-Sun leader
4/18/2008 9:38:50 PM | Softball
Williams sets single season home run mark
Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The University of North Florida softball team split a doubleheader with Atlantic Sun Conference frontrunner Florida Gulf Coast, winning the opening game 3-2 before falling 6-5 in the second game.
Devyn Findley threw a one-hitter in the opener to help lead the Lady Ospreys (37-22, 11-7 A-Sun) to the win, while Ashley Parenteau, Gwen Williams and Kara Rutenbar all hit home runs in the doubleheader.
“Overall it was a great night,” UNF head coach Sonya Wilmoth said. “We were able keep them out of their comfort zone offensively, both of our pitchers did a good job with that. We have to be proud of the way we played.”
Williams' home run in game two was her 13th of the season, setting the UNF single-season home run mark. It also put her back into a tie with Parenteau for the career home run race at UNF. Both players leave
Parenteau got the scoring started on the day with her 11th homer of the season, driving a ball to center field that gave the Lady Ospreys a 1-0 advantage. Williams made it a 2-0 game in the fourth when she led off the inning with a base hit and eventually came around to score on a Laura Williams single to left.
Findley held the Eagles (46-14, 14-4 A-Sun), hitless for the first 5.2 innings of play, working around six walks and two hit batters. FGCU had runners in scoring position in the first, third and fifth innings, but the UNF lefty turned the Eagles away all three times.
A pair of errors in the infield finally led to two Eagle runs in the bottom of the sixth, knotting the game 2-2. It was FGCU, however, that committed a crucial error in the top of the seventh, allowing Laura Williams to score the go-ahead run.
Williams led UNF at the plate with a pair of hits and a run in the game.
FGCU pounced early in game two, scoring three runs in the opening inning of play on a Samantha Waldron bases-loaded triple. The Eagles plated an unearned run in the fourth, but UNF was able to take three of those runs back in the top of the sixth, thanks to a pair of doubles by Lauren Pulling and Kacie McCloud and Rutenbar's fourth home run of the season.
Down two runs, UNF's power surge continued in the seventh inning when Ashley Battaglia led off the inning with a base hit to left before Gwen Williams tied it at 5-5 with a monster home run that smashed into the scoreboard in left field.
Findley (20-11) came on in relief in the bottom of the seventh, but the Eagles were able to scratch across a run when Jessica Carter drove home the winning tally with a sacrifice fly to center.
Rutenbar and Gwen Williams each had a pair of hits to lead the Lady Ospreys, while Jessica Gary was 2-for-4 with a run to lead FGCU.
The Lady Ospreys return to the field on Sunday when they travel to Stetson for a pair of games starting at 2 p.m.
