JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida Softball team defeated Bethune-Cookman 5-1 and 11-3 in a non-conference doubleheader Thursday at the UNF Softball Complex.
 
The Ospreys (19-24) now take a 10-day break before returning to Atlantic Sun Conference play.
 
Game 1: North Florida 5, Bethune-Cookman 1
 
The Ospreys struck first after two scoreless innings, when senior Shelby Duncan scored freshman Navia Penrod on a RBI double to make the score 1-0.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, North Florida added three more runs, with senior Stacy McClelland scoring Duncan on a RBI double, followed by junior Ashia Kerr driving in sophomore Casey Estes and McClelland on a rwo-RBI double, making the score 4-0 after five innings.
 
Freshman Minnie Cocuzza pushed the Ospreys' lead to 5-0 with a solo home run over the left field wall, her first career home run.
 
Bethune-Cookman scored a run in the top of the seventh to make the score 5-1, but the Ospreys' defense held strong for the win.
 
Duncan finished 2-for-4, while Cocuzza finished 2-for-3 and Penrod closed the first game going 2-for-4.
 
Junior Katie Beth Gordon earned the win for North Florida, throwing 6.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out seven.
 
Game 2: North Florida 11 Bethune-Cookman 3 (5)
 
Bethune-Cookman scored first in the top of the second on a RBI single, taking a 1-0 lead.
 
The Ospreys responded with five runs in the bottom of the second, with freshman Jenna Brownell scoring McClelland on a RBI single, followed by Estes and Cocuzza scoring on errors. Senior Katie Mandigo capped off the inning with a two-RBI double, scoring Penrod and sophomore Alex Arciola to make the score 5-1.
 
Bethune-Cookman scored two runs in the top of the third, scoring runs on a RBI triple and a sacrifice fly to make the score 5-3.
 
North Florida broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs. Mandigo started off the rally with a two-run home run to center field, her third of the year, followed by a RBI single by McClelland, and capped off by a two-RBI single by Ashia Kerr to make the score 10-3 after four innings.
 
Penrod made quick work of the fifth inning, belting a lead-off home run over the center field wall, ending the game in a 11-3, run-rule victory to complete the doubleheader sweep.
 
Five Ospreys earned hits in the win, with Penrod finishing 3-for-4 with three runs score, while Mandigo went 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the game. McClelland went 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored.
 
Freshman Meghan Jeffrey earned the win in the circle for North Florida, allowing just one run and two hits in the start.
 
Next Up
 
The Ospreys take a 10-day break before returning to conference play in Fort Myers, Fla. May 2-3. They face conference leader FGCU in a three-game series with just six games remaining on the schedule.
 
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