University of North Florida
Stetson
UNF closes A-Sun play with sweep
4/15/2009 9:21:00 PM | Softball
Freshmen come through in pair of wins against Stetson
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida softball team guaranteed itself a winning season in Atlantic Sun Conference play thanks to a pair of wins against Stetson at the UNF Softball Complex.
It took the Lady Ospreys (25-24, 11-9 A-Sun) 10 innings but they finally captured a 1-0 win in the opener thanks to an Ariana Godwin base hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th. Godwin's fellow freshman, Alyson Bailey, came through in the clutch in game two, driving home a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to give UNF the 3-2 win over the Hatters (20-25, 3-11 A-Sun).
Findley and Stetson's Amanda Lindsey squared off in the opener with both pitchers refusing to budge for the first nine innings of play. Godwin finally broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 10th with a one-out single.
Lindsey was a model of control for most of the opener, walking only two Lady Ospreys through the first nine innings of action. She gave up walks, however, to Lauren Pulling and Britanie Block to load the bases. Godwin then squeezed the first pitch she saw between the drawn in Stetson infield to bring home Amy Kraus from third for the game winner.
Godwin had two of UNF's six hits to lead the offense.
“That was one of the hardest hit balls that I have seen from her,” UNF head coach Marcie Hickey said. “She will hit it into the ground, so the runners know they need to be ready to go on anything.”
Findley threw more than 200 pitches in the victory, tying a career high with 13 strikeouts to earn her seventh shutout of the season.
The Hatters touched Shaina Dent for a pair of runs in the top of the third inning of game two for their first two runs of the day.
Laura Williams cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth with a single that scored Caroline Torre from second. UNF loaded the bases one batter later when Block reached on a walk but Godwin couldn't beat out a ground ball to second, leaving three stranded to end the inning.
The Lady Ospreys saved their final rally for the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases after Stetson hurler Erica Demers recorded the first two outs. Airen Payne started the rally with a walk before Amanda Moseley singled to right and Torre walked. Bailey followed with a bouncer that found its way through the Stetson infield and into right field. That allowed a pair of runs to score and UNF to grab its first lead of the game.
Dent gave up a two-out base hit in the bottom of the seventh to Amy Joyce but Ashley Battaglia quickly erased her when she threw out Joyce attempting to steal second, ending the game and securing the UNF win.
UNF closes out its season on Thursday in a doubleheader at home against Florida A&M. Before the games, the team will honor seniors Battaglia and Lauren Pulling.
