Huge Comeback Lifts Softball to Sweep on Day One of UNF Invite

Friday, February 15

Jacksonville, Fla.

4:30 p.m.

University of North Florida

1-3

Colgate

0-2

Colgate

North Florida

Action shot of Dominica Cocuzza swining and watching the ball.

Huge Comeback Lifts Softball to Sweep on Day One of UNF Invite

2/15/2019 9:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Cocuzza hits grand slam, Penrod clubs walk-off homer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida softball kicked off its home slate in exciting fashion as it took down Colgate, 7-1, before senior Navia Penrod slammed a walk-off home run to give the Ospreys a 10-8 win against South Dakota State in eight innings.

QUICK GLANCE
Score: North Florida 7, Colgate 1 | UNF 10, South Dakota State 8 (8 inn.)
Records: North Florida (2-3) | Colgate (0-2) | SDSU (4-3)

TOP PERFORMERS

Penrod finished the day with a 6-for-7 outing with four runs scored and a pair of RBI with two walks.
Classmate Dominica Cocuzza slammed the game-tying grand slam in the bottom of the seventh to send the game against the Jackrabbits to extra frames. She finished the day going 6-for-8 with eight RBI. She also hit for the cycle between the two games.
Sydney Matzko tossed 6.0 innings, surrendering just two hits and an unearned run, while fanning three.
In total, six Ospreys had multi-base hits on the day.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1

The guests struck first with a run in the opening inning, but the Ospreys answered after hits from Penrod and Megan Woodson put runners on second and third. A walk for Veronika Klimplova loaded the bases for Cocuzza who sent a single to second base to score the opening run.
Ashley Goebel then hit a deep ball to second base to allow Klimplova to come around and score for a 2-1 lead.
North Florida put up a three-spot in the second when back-to-back singles set the table for Klimplova. She then sent a double to right center to bring in the two runs for the 5-1 advantage.
In the fourth, Paige Pfent tallied an RBI before Cocuzza had an RBI double for the final 7-1 lead.
Freshman Kayla Cruz tossed 4.0 innings, giving up just one hit and a run. Matzko came in relief to finish the game with three innings of work.

Game 2

South Dakota State held a 7-1 lead heading into the sixth inning as UNF recorded just three hits heading into the bottom of the frame.
A pair of singles put runners on before Cocuzza recorded her fourth RBI of the day to end the scoreless streak. Goebel walked to load the bases before Katelin Davis sent a pinch-hit single down the left line to bring in two.
Matzko sat the Jackrabbits down in order in the seventh to put the game in the hands of the Osprey offense.
UNF had the bases loaded with two outs thanks to a single and a pair of hit batters as Cocuzza stepped up to the plate and sent a game-tying grand slam over the center field fence.
With the bases cleared, Taylor Compton got the final Osprey to pop out to send the game to extras.
Playing international tiebreaker rules, a ground out and bunt single brought home the run, but Matzko got a batter swinging to put the game in North Florida's control.
A successful sac bunt allowed Goebel to reach third before she came around to slide under the home plate tag on Mary Rodriguez's bunt single.
With the game tied back up and a runner on first, Penrod sent a 1-0 pitch out of the park for the 10-8 victory.

NOTES
- The wins are the first of the season for the Ospreys
- UNF is now 1-1 against SDSU and 2-0 against Colgate.
- It was Cocuzza's first grand slam of her career.
- North Florida has now won its home opener in three straight seasons and seven of the last eight.

UP NEXT
The Ospreys continue the weekend with a pair of games against Northern Iowa and College of Charleston in the 2019 UNF Invitational. Game times are set for 4:30 and 7 p.m., respectively.