University of North Florida
Kennesaw State
Payne delivers win against Owls
4/10/2009 8:27:00 PM | Softball
Lady Ospreys split A-Sun doubleheader with Kennesaw
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – University of North Florida junior Airen Payne doubled home a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead a Lady Osprey comeback effort and help UNF earn a split against Kennesaw State at UNF Softball Complex.
UNF (22-23, 8-8 A-Sun) fell 3-2 in the opener, leaving 10 runners on base before bouncing back against the Owls (16-19, 3-7 A-Sun) with a 3-1 win in the nightcap.
Shaina Dent did not allow an earned run in game two, striking out six and walking only two. The win snapped UNF's seven game losing streak to the Owls and gave UNF its first win against KSU on the NCAA Division I level.
“Shaina has been very solid this, she threw a great game,” UNF head coach Marcie Hickey said. “We have been a little inconsistent with our offense lately. Nothing was going well today and all of a sudden we showed up and looked good in the sixth inning.”
After allowing an unearned run in the opening inning of play, Dent (11-5) stayed patient and waited for her offense to reward an effort that saw her keep the Owls from putting a runner on second base until the seventh inning.
Kennesaw's Catherine Tarvin (5-8) held the Lady Osprey offense hitless until Payne reached on a double with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Payne was cut down at the plate trying to score on an Amanda Moseley base hit, allowing Kennesaw to hold onto its lead for a couple innings longer.
The Lady Ospreys finally rallied in the sixth after Ariana Godwin reached on an error to lead off the inning. Ashley Battaglia followed her with a single to left and advanced to second on the throw into the infield. Payne delivered her double two batters later, giving UNF a 2-1 advantage. She would make it 3-1 when she scored on an Amanda Moseley double one batter later.
Payne and Moseley each had two hits to lead the UNF offense.
KSU put together a final threat in the top of the seventh when Jordan Hackett doubled over the head of Kara Rutenbar in right field and Lyndsay McCurry followed with a single. Dent got out of that two-out jam when she coaxed a Hollie Huffman groundout to end the game.
UNF took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the opener without the benefit of a hit.
UNF took one if those runs back in the top of the fifth but couldn't get any closer, leaving 10 runners on base in the loss.
UNF had 10 hits in the game with Kara Rutenbar, Moseley and Caroline Torre leading the way with two hits apiece. Devyn Findley (10-16) tied a career high with 13 strikeouts in the effort.
