Softball Splits Saturday Twin Bill

Saturday, February 12

Jacksonville, Fla.

4 p.m.

University of North Florida

3-0

Winthrop

0-4

WINTHROP

North Florida

2/13/2022 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Ospreys Shut Out Winthrop, Lose to NC State In Extras

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida softball (3-1) split Saturday's twin bill, blanking Winthrop (0-3) to open the day before coming up one out short of defeating NC State in a 6-5 loss to the Wolfpack (4-0) in extras Saturday, Feb. 12 from the UNF Softball Complex.

The Ospreys used the bat of Kayla McGory in the fifth inning to break out a 3-0 lead and they never looked back. Clausen finished her second complete game of the season, while also recording a shutout for the second straight day.

Kayla Harper and Shannon Glover teamed up for three hits apiece against NC State to build a 4-1 lead entering the top of the seventh, but a two-out rally that saw NC State collect four-straight hits including a three-RBI game-tying double sent the game into extras. NC State would add two more runs in the ninth inning, before retiring UNF with the winning run on base.

Game 1 | UNF 4, WINTHROP 0

Clausen pitched another shutout gem to earn her second win of the weekend, while McGory hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to secure the Ospreys' 4-0 victory.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Morgan Clausen (2-0)
Loss: Sydney Boulware (0-2)

Line Scores
WU | 0 R, 4 H, 2 E, 5 LOB
UNF | 4 R, 5 H, 1 E, 5 LOB

Behind the Line Score

Both sides started the game out in a defensive struggle, as no runs were scored through the first four innings of competition.
The Ospreys finally broke through with the one-run lead after Harper singled through the left side to bring in Bailee Aguigui for the score.
McGory came up as the next batter and knocked one into left field for her first home run of the season to extend the Osprey lead to three runs.
Logan Jackson added damage in the bottom of the sixth when she batted in Regan Hermeling to give UNF the four-run lead.
Clausen allowed a hit in the first inning and didn't give another one up until the top of the sixth, as she struck four batters during her hitless run.
The righty closed the game out by coaxing a grounder to second for her second complete game in as many days.

The Ospreys opened the season with three straight wins for the first time since the 2015 season.
Hermeling and Maegan Calandra made their season debuts as pinch runners, with Hermeling scoring the fourth run batted in by Jackson in the sixth inning.
Clausen combined from 15 strikeouts through the first two games, while only allowing six hits combined over 14 innings.
McGory recorded the 13th home run of her career for the Ospreys in the sixth inning.
Hayley Bejarano recorded 11 putouts as the starting first baseman.

Game 2 | NC STATE 6, UNF 5 (Final - 9 Innings)

The Ospreys built a 4-1 lead behind the bats of Glover and Harper along with the arm of Erin Kyle, but NC State had a flare for the dramatic to win in extras.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Aisha Weixlmann (3-0)
Loss: Morgan Clausen (2-1)

Line Scores
NC ST | 6 R, 12 H, 3 E, 10 LOB
UNF | 5 R, 10 H, 2 E, 11 LOB

Behind the Line Score

Kyle returned for her second start of the weekend after pitching a complete game victory against Campbell on Friday afternoon.
NC State started out taking a 1-0 lead after a single to left center brought in a runner in the first.
Glover responded quickly by sending one down to the left line to bring in Harper for the tie, followed by Ashley Goebel driving in Glover for a 2-1 lead.
Both pitchers settled in, spinning a combined three and a half scoreless frames before Glover came through with a double flared into left center, scoring Harper once more.
Harper was the one to drive in a run this time, finding the hole on the left side to drive in pinch runner Bailee Aguigui.
Kyle worked a soft lineout and groundout to get the first two outs of the seventh before NC State rallied.
The Wolfpack collected three-straight singles before a bases-clearing double evened the game.
NC ST added two more runs in the ninth inning and the Ospreys were just short of the comeback suffering their first loss of the season, 6-5.

The Ospreys had two three-hit players against the Wolfpack with Harper and Glover combining for six hits, three runs, and four RBIs.
UNF has recorded at least seven combined strikeouts in three of their first four games, with 20 of their 26 total strikeouts coming from Clausen.
Clausen struck out five batters in relief of Kyle through 2.1 innings, including the first four outs that she worked out of the bullpen.
It was the first extra-innings loss for UNF since the 2020 season against Illinois State.

Up Next

The Ospreys will wrap up play the River City Leadoff on Sunday when they play Winthrop for a second time this weekend at 12:30 p.m. at the UNF Softball Complex.