FORT MYERS, Fla. - North Florida softball jumped to an early lead on Friday and never let it up despite several postponements as the Ospreys won 5-3 in the elimination game to advance to its first ever ASUN semifinal where it defeated Liberty 3-1 to head to the championship game.
UNF has to win two games against Lipscomb in order to earn the automatic NCAA bid.
More information on the Liberty game will be available later.
UNF 3, Liberty 1
Pitchers of Record
WIN |
Morgan Clausen (5-6) 3.2 IP, 0 H, 2 K
LOSS | Julia DiMartino (18-10) 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the fifth inning, North Florida's offense collected four consecutive singles with two outs and a runner on base to take a 3-1 lead it would not relinquish.
- With two outs and Megan Woodson on first after being hit by a pitch, Dominica Cocuzza, Tiffany Lower and Rindy Bryant tallied three straight singles for the trio of Ospreys runs.
- In the fourth, the Flames scored on Alexis Erich's squeeze bunt after advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt to go up 1-0.
- Navia Penrod led North Florida going 4-for-4 at the plate in the game and a perfect 7-for-7 against Liberty in the Championship.
TOP PERFORMERS
Penrod | 4-4, R (ties the ASUN career hits record - 285)
Cocuzza, Lower. Bryant - RBI
UNF 5, FGCU 3
Pitchers of Record
WIN |
Sydney Matzko (15-11) 4.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
LOSS | Marrisa Mesiemore (10-8) 5.0, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 K
SAVE |
Morgan Clausen (2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UNF got things going early off as Navia Penrod led off with a single before scoring on Dominica Cocuzza's double.
- Tiffany Lower then singled and advanced on the throw for two on in scoring position. Paige Pfent then stepped to the plate for an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
- In the second, an error allowed a runner on first and Penrod's second single put another aboard. Cocuzza then hit her second double of the game to bring in a run.
- Once again Lower stepped to the plate for a single to bring home Penrod. As rain began to fall, Rindy Bryant was able to knock out a sac fly to bring home Cocuzza for the 5-0 lead.
- The game went into a delay at 5:15 p.m. on Friday and resumed again at 10 p.m. that night, but was quickly called as more lightning entered the area.
- Resuming at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, FGCU came out to score three runs in
TOP PERFORMERS
UNF
Penrod | 3-4, 2 R
Cocuzza | 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B
FGCU
Kate Kelly | 2-4, 1 R
Racquel Fournet | 2-3, 2 RBI
NOTES
- North Florida avenged its loss to Liberty earlier in championship tournament action with the win and its first over the Flames this season (4-1).
- The Ospreys become the first No. 6 seed to advance to the Championship title game since 2001 (Troy).
- Penrod enters the championship title game(s) going 13-for-18 (.722) at the plate in the tournament..
