JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida Softball team split the first two games in their conference-opening series with Stetson Saturday at the UNF Softball Complex.
The Ospreys (12-17, 1-1 A-Sun) won the first game 6-4, while the Hatters (22-12, 1-1 A-Sun) took the second game 8-3.
Game 1: North Florida 6, Stetson 4 Both teams scored in the first inning, with Stetson scoring on a RBI single, while senior
Stacy McClelland scored freshman
Navia Penrod on a RBI groundout for North Florida.
The Ospreys held a brief 2-1 lead at the end of the second after senior
Lexi Taylor singled home junior
Ashia Kerr.
The Hatters responded with three runs in the top of the third to take a 4-2 lead. The Ospreys responded, tying the game at 4-4 with a RBI double by senior
Shelby Duncan, followed by a SAC fly RBI by freshman
Minnie Cocuzza.
North Florida took a 5-4 lead after four innings when Duncan notched her second RBI of the day on a single. McClelland extended the lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth, scoring Penrod on a fielder's choice.
Duncan finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs, while Penrod finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Senior
Janet Snipe got the win in relief effort, pitching 4.2 innings while striking out two and scattering four hits.
Game 2: Stetson 8, North Florida 3 The Ospreys put the first run on the board with a RBI double off of the center field wall by McClelland.
Stetson took the lead in the top of the third, putting up five runs on seven hits for a 5-1 lead.
The Ospreys cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third, with Duncan scoring Penrod on a RBI groundout.
In the bottom of the fifth, Duncan drove in Taylor on a two-out, RBI single to make the score 5-3. Mandigo rounded third looking to make it a one-run game, but was tagged out at the plate, ending the Ospreys rally.
Stetson pulled away in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring one run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh to extend the lead to 8-3.
Mandigo finished 3-for-3 with one run scored to lead the offense, while McClelland finished 2-for-3 with a RBI.
The Ospreys are back in action for the rubber match against the Hatters at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the UNF Softball Complex.
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