JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida Softball team dropped a non-conference contest to the 16^th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers 9-4 Wednesday night at the UNF Softball Complex.
 
The Ospreys (11-16) held a 4-3 lead going into the seventh inning, but some defensive miscues allowed Tennessee (21-5) to take a 5-4 lead, before extending it to 9-4 with a total of six runs in the top half of the seventh.
 
North Florida started off with a two-run bottom of the first, as senior Stacy McClelland hit a ground ball to the second baseman, scoring Mandigo on the RBI and another run on the errant throw to first.
 
The Ospreys held a 2-0 lead until the top of the fourth, when Tennessee scored one run on a fielder's choice, cutting the lead to 2-1.
 
North Florida responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth when, sophomore Casey Estes scored on an error by the Vols first baseman, giving the Ospreys a 3-1 lead.
 
Tennessee tied the game in the top of the fifth at 3-3 with RBIs from a sacrifice fly and a double down the left field.
 
The Ospreys took back the lead in the bottom of the sixth, when senior Lexi Taylor scored freshman Minnie Cocuzza on a single down the left field line for the 4-3 lead.
 
The Volunteers took a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh on a single with a three-base error to put up two runs. Tennessee extended the lead to 6-4 with a run on a double steal, followed by back-to-back home runs to make the score the eventual final of 9-4.
 
The Ospreys are back in action tomorrow afternoon, facing Monmouth in non-conference action at 3 p.m. at the UNF Softball Complex.
 
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