University of North Florida
Belmont
Pollack Pushes Ospreys over Bruins; Split Series
4/8/2011 11:55:00 PM | Softball
Game One Box Score ::: Game Two Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of North Florida softball team dropped game one against Belmont, 1-0, before claiming an extra-inning thriller in game two, 3-2, over the Bruins at the inaugural games at E.S. Rose Park on Friday evening.
After the day, North Florida improves to 20-21 overall and 4-6 in the A-Sun, while Belmont drops to 8-27 and 1-7 in the league.
Up next, North Florida wraps up its eight-game Atlantic Sun road trip as the squad travels across town for a matchup against Lipscomb on Saturday, April 9. The first pitch of game one is slated for 2 p.m. (ET).
GAME ONE
Belmont scored the lone run of the game on a wild pitch in the sixth inning, and the Bruins took down North Florida in game one by a score of 1-0. The Belmont win snaps a three-game losing streak to the Ospreys.
North Florida threatened to score the game's first run in the top of the fifth inning. Freshman Danica Mandarano led off the inning with a stand-up double to left center, and advanced to third on the ensuing sacrifice bunt. Mandarano was unable to score on the next batter's groundout to third base, and sophomore Jackie Reese was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to put runners on the corners. Unfortunately, the next batter struck out to end the inning.
Belmont also made a strong effort to score in the fifth, loading the bases with just one out. The Ospreys were able to get the next batter to hit a groundball to third base, throwing out the runner on the force play at home. The following batter then struck out swinging to end the threat.
After a double and walk with one out in the sixth inning, the Ospreys were once again unable to plate a run as the next two batters struck out and grounded out to the pitcher, respectively.
The Bruins finally broke through in the sixth after putting runners on second and third with no outs. The first run of the game came on a wild pitch, scoring the runner from third. The next batter, with one out, popped up into a double play to the pitcher, who then threw out the runner at third.
Freshman Cortney Radke (17-13) was tagged with the loss after hurling six innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Radke fanned five batters and walked two.
Belmont's Devon Schmidt (7-12) picked up the team's first conference win this year, working a complete-game shutout and allowing just three hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
GAME TWO
Freshman Lauren Pollack punched a RBI single to centerfield in the top of the eighth inning to help lead North Florida over Belmont, 3-2, in extra innings in the second game of the doubleheader.
Belmont began the second inning with a single and double, followed by a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score the first run of the game and take a 1-0 lead after two innings.
In the sixth inning, North Florida tied the game at 1-1 after plating a runner from second on a fielding error by Belmont's second baseman. With two outs, Pollack laced a double to left field, scoring senior Caroline Torre all the way from first to take its first lead of the series, 2-1.
The game would be tied again, however at 2-2, after Rebecca Gift of Belmont crushed the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth inning over the right field wall.
In the first extra frame, the top of the eighth, the Ospreys led the inning off with single and error by the third baseman to put runners on first and second. Torre laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over with just one out. With two outs, Pollack punched a single to centerfield to score the winning run.
The Ospreys' freshman Cortney Radke (18-13) picked up the win after working an eight-inning complete-game, allowing two runs – both earned, seven hits and striking out nine. The Bruins' Devon Schmidt (7-13) was tagged with the loss after pitching eight innings in which she allowed three runs – one earned – on six hits, while fanning seven batters.
