Ospreys Spilt River City Rumble in Extras

Tuesday, April 6

Jacksonville, Fla.

5:00:00 PM

University of North Florida

2 (11)

Jacksonville

4/7/2010 1:01:46 AM | Softball

By: Andrew Hopkins, UNF Athletics

Box Score 1
Box Score 2

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - In a total of 22 innings played, the University of North Florida softball team split with Jacksonville in the SunTrust River City Rumble Tuesday night with the Dolphins beating the Ospreys, 2-1 in game one, but the Ospreys coming back to win game two, 2-1, with a walk-off hit by sophomore Shaina Dent.

Senior Devyn Findley pitched a career night for the Ospreys (20-21, 6-4 A-Sun) and showed why she is one of the premier pitchers in the Atlantic Sun Conference, tossing 15.2 innings, whiffing 24 and allowing one run on five hits.

Findley led the team with five hits and in the circle Findley had a 0.45 ERA, lowering her overall ERA from a 1.92 to a 1.79 ERA.

Findley put the second game on her shoulders, allowing one earned run and striking out a career high 15. Her 15 strikeouts were one short of tying UNF's school record set by Trish Davis, who recorded 16 against Lincoln Memorial in 2000.

Findley (16-11) came in to relieve Dent, who ran into some trouble in the seventh inning after loading the bases with the score tied 1-1. Dent's no-decision was a great outing for the right-hander. She allowed one run and struck out eight. Dent's eight K's were one short of tying her season high this season when she struck out nine against Delaware State.

With the bases loaded and one out, Findley helped Dent by recording two big strikeouts in the top of the seventh to keep the Dolphins (23-15, 2-6 A-Sun) off the board. Findley and Dent combined for 32 strikeouts on the night.

Not only did Dent do her part in the circle but was once again in the batter's box. Dent recorded a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the 11th that lined over the Dolphins' second baseman's glove, bringing in the winning run for the 2-1 score.

Dent recorded her last game-winning hit against Florida Guld Coast, when she put the Ospreys up 3-2 in the eighth inning with an RBI triple to help sweep the Eagles in Fort Myers, Fla.

Tremendous efforts were made by the Ospreys keeping both games of the River City Rumble close. In the third inning of the second game to keep the score 0-0 sophomore Ariana Godwin displayed her arm from centerfield gunning down JU leftfielder Katarina Engler who slid head first into a nice scoop and tag by freshman catcher Jackie Reese.

Reese got the nod behind the plate for both games and was able to come up with her bottom of the fifth game tying home run to left center field in the first game. With that home run Reese moved to first on the team in home runs this season with four.

The Ospreys will play USC Upstate this Friday, April 9, at 3 p.m., at the UNF Softball Complex. The Spartans (25-7, 5-3 A-Sun) enter the weekend coming off a 6-0 win against South Carolina on Monday. USC Upstate currently sits tied with UNF for second in the Atlantic Sun.