University of North Florida
Liberty
Softball Splits to Open Play at USF The Game Tournament
3/18/2011 5:42:40 PM | Softball
Box Score (Liberty) ::: Box Score (Quinnipiac)
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The North Florida softball team (13-11) split its two games on Friday to open play at the USF The Game Tournament at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. The Ospreys defeated Liberty (7-8) in its opening game, 9-3, before getting shutout by Quinnipiac (10-10) with a score of 2-0 to wrap up the day.
The Ospreys will return to the diamond on Saturday for two more games, first facing Rutgers at 12:30 p.m. The squad will follow that game with a matchup against Long Island at 5:30 p.m.
GAME ONE
North Florida plated seven runs in the first three innings to distance itself from Liberty and eventually claim the victory, 9-3, over the Flames. Freshman pitcher Cortney Radke (11-8) went the distance for the Ospreys, working a complete game while striking out seven and scattering seven hits on the day.
The Ospreys scored first in the top of the first inning, plating two runs on one-run singles by freshman Lauren Pollack and senior Caroline Torre. Though Liberty answered with one run in the bottom frame, North Florida extended its lead out to 7-2 after just three innings.
The North Florida squad would add two more runs in the fifth, followed by Liberty scoring once more in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 9-3, which would prove to be the final score.
The Flames' Katrina Johnson (3-4) was tagged with the loss after pitching just 1.1 innings, allowing four runs – all earned – while striking out none and walking two on four hits.
GAME TWO
In the second game, Quinnipiac scored one run in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead, never looking back as the Bobcats downed the Ospreys, 2-0.
North Florida looked poised to make a seventh-inning rally with two outs as the squad had runners on first and second. Unfortunately, the next batter struck out swinging to bring an end to the contest.
The Bobcats' pitcher Schwartzburg (6-4) picked up the win, pitching a complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits while fanning 11 Osprey batters.
Junior Osprey hurler Richelle Raley (0-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing one run in just 0.2 innings of work. Raley walked three in the outing, while freshman Cortney Radke finished the game with 5.1 innings pitched and five strikeouts.
