FORT MYERS, Fla. - It took just one swing of the bat for North Florida softball to overcome a small North Alabama lead as freshman
Paige Pfent hit a pinch-hit grand slam to secure a 5-2 victory against the Lions and advance UNF in the ASUN Championship.
UNF opened the second game with two runs in the first and three in the second for a 5-0 lead on FGCU in the bottom of the second. The game was halted by rain around 5:15 p.m. It resumed at 9:56 p.m. before being quickly called after an out to end the top second and an out to start the bottom. Game time is now slated for 8 a.m. on Saturday.
UNF 5, North Alabama 2
Pitchers of Record
WIN |
Morgan Blourne (9-6) 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB
LOSS | Laken Distefano (4-3) 2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K
SAVE |
Sydney Matzko (3) 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 K
HOW IT HAPPENED
- North Florida struck first with Tiffany Lower's RBI single to right field to bring in Navia Penrod who reached on a single of her own to start the inning.
- In the second, North Alabama answered back with two runs off Danielle de Ruiter's deep single to left.
- A big third inning propelled the Ospreys to the win though as a single and hit batter put two on. A walk to Lower then loaded the bases.
- Coach Marcie Higgs made a substitution to bring in Pfent to hit. It paid off as Pfent slammed her second home run of the season down the left line for the grand slam and give UNF a 5-2 lead.
- North Alabama put runners in scoring position over the final three innings, but a trio of pitchers along with the Osprey defense kept the Lions at bay.
TOP PERFORMERS
UNF
Penrod | 2-4, 2 R
Pfent | 1-1, 4 RBI, HR
Lower | 1-2, 2 BB, RBI
North Alabama
Alex Brown | 2-3
Danielle de Ruiter | 1-3, 2 RBI
NOTES
- Pfent also hit a home run against the same pitcher when UNF was in Florence for the regular season which was a three-run pinch-hit homer.
- Clausen came in to toss 1.0 innings with just two hits after inheriting just one runner. Matzko inherited two runners when she reentered in the sixth and got a batter swinging before a ground out ended any more threat.
- The Ospreys improve to 3-1 on the year against the Lions after taking the season series in Florence.
- For the first time since 2015, the No. 6 seed has won two games in the Championship.
- UNF's Navia Penrod now has 278 career hits which ranks fourth all-time in the ASUN career record book.
LOOKING AHEAD
North Florida is in a win-or-go-home situation against No. 3 FGCU in the afternoon. UNF defeated the Eagles 3-2 to start the tournament.
