University of North Florida
Samford
Softball Takes Down Samford, Central Arkansas at Quality Inn Classic
2/19/2011 5:14:00 PM | Softball
Game One (Samford) Box Score ::: Game Two (Central Arkansas) Box Score
TROY, Ala. – The North Florida softball team (3-5) extended its winning streak to three games after dropping its first five games to open the season. The Ospreys defeated Samford (2-5), 3-2, to begin the day at the Quality Inn Classic hosted by Troy University at the Troy Softball Complex, and followed that up with a 4-3 victory in eight innings over Central Arkansas (1-7).
“We didn't make very good hitting adjustments during the games so the games were more interesting than they should've been,” head coach Marcie Hickey said. “We hit very well late in the games. Chie threw awesome in the second game and shut [Central Arkansas] down once she came in. We had some freshman make some big hits for us to win the second game today as well.”
North Florida will return to the diamond on Sunday for two more games. The Ospreys will first take the field at 11 a.m. (ET) for a match-up against Bradley, and follow that game with a meeting against host Troy at 1:30 p.m. (ET).
GAME ONE
North Florida held off a late charge from Samford in the seventh inning to take a 3-2 victory over the Bears. Freshman pitcher Cortney Radke (2-4) hurled her way to her second consecutive victory in the circle, but got help at the plate from sophomore catcher Jackie Reese who went deep twice in the game.
Radke allowed just two earned runs on 11 hits in a complete-game seven innings of work. She fanned five on the day while walking just one.
With the Ospreys leading 3-1 heading into the top of the seventh inning, Samford made a late rally, beginning the frame with runners on first and second and no outs. A sacrifice bunt and single to left field later would score one and put runners on the corners with just one out. Senior first baseman Caroline Torre took care of the final two outs, however, throwing out the runner at home on the next play and followed that by grabbing a line drive shot to first to end the game.
The Bulldogs struck first in the first inning with one run, but North Florida answered back in the bottom of the second with two runs of its own to take the lead. Reese brought the big bat in the second, going deep to center for a two-run home run as Torre had singled earlier in her at-bat to make the score 2-1.
North Florida got its insurance run in the sixth when Reese made her official mark on the day with her second deep ball, this one to right field. Reese was responsible for all three Osprey RBI in the first game on Saturday. The Melbourne, Fla., native went 2-for-3 from the batters box with two home runs, three RBI and two runs. She also led North Florida with seven putouts in the field.
Samford hurler Nicole Bobrowski (1-1) was tagged with her first loss of the year, allowing three runs – all earned – on six hits in six innings in the circle. She struck out four while walking one on the day. North Florida leads the all-time series 2-0 over Samford following the win.
GAME TWO
In the second game, North Florida was the team making the rally late in the game as it took a 4-3 victory over Central Arkansas in true comeback fashion. The Ospreys fell down 3-0 early after the first two innings, but scored four late to win the game in eight innings.
Freshman Mariah Reynolds took the air out of the Bears in the bottom of the seventh with a three-run bomb, tying the game at 3-3 with her first home run and RBI of her career. Earlier in the inning, sophomore Jackie Reese and junior Kelly Dill singled and were on first and second when Reynolds came to the plate, eventually tying the game.
In the first extra inning game of the year for the Ospreys, and first international rules game as well in which a runner is place on second at the beginning of each inning, the squad came through and won in the eighth. Freshman Brittany Hendrix was the runner moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt, eventually scoring with two outs after freshman Marissa Thomas singled to left center.
Central Arkansas found the bats early and took a 3-0 lead after the first two innings before giving up four unanswered late. In the first inning, the first run of the game came on a run walked-in with the bases loaded and only one out. The Ospreys got out of the jam, however, with a fly-out and ground-out. In the second inning, the Bears padded the lead with a two-run double.
Junior Chie Someya (1-0) earned the win for the Ospreys, pitching in relief of junior starter Richelle Raley. Someya allowed no runs on just three hits in six innings of work, striking out two and walking one.
The Bears' Kelsie Armstrong (1-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs – three earned – on five hits in 7 2/3 innings in the circle. Armstrong fanned seven and walked just one on the day.
