JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida softball (8-1) took down Michigan State (5-4) not only once but twice, using a dazzling day from
Halle Arends in the circle, late-game small ball and a walk-off in the second game to go 2-0 against the Big Ten foe.
It's the first time that the Ospreys have been victorious over Power Five opponent twice in one day since beating No. 19 Virginia Tech and Purdue by one run each on Feb. 28, 2020.
Arends pitched her way to a pair of wins after throwing a total of 144 pitches with 12.1 innings pitched over two games to combine for 10 strikeouts. She didn't permit an earned run.
Kayla McGory was the star of the show over at the plate, as she combined for four hits and three runs to secure those doubleheader wins on Sunday afternoon.
GAME 1 | UNF 4, MICHIGAN STATE 3
Arends pitched as efficient of a game as possible. The righty didn't allow a hit as she posted her second win of the season in relief of
Morgan Clausen.
Hayley Bejarano provided the late-game small ball spark with the execution of a game-winning squeeze play.
Pitchers of Record
Win:
Halle Arends (2-0)
Loss: Ashley Miller (4-1)
Line Scores
MSU | 3 R, 3 H, 2 E, 1 LOB
UNF | 4 R, 6 H, 2 E, 5 LOB
Behind the Line Score
- Michigan State applied damage early and jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning after two singles sent a trio of runners around the bases.
- The Ospreys clawed back in the third inning after a single through the left side sent
Bailee Aguigui and
Kayla Harper home to make it a one-run game.
-
Paige Pfent fisted a grounder to the pitcher, but the ball in play allowed McGory to score the tying run.
- Both teams dueled it out on the mound through three more innings until a leadoff single by
Logan Jackson in the sixth sparked the winning run.
Takiya London came in as a pinch runner, stole second, moved to third on a bunt and came across home on the squeeze play.
- Arends took down the side in the seventh, including getting the last two batters to strike out swinging.
- Arends hopped into relief after Clausen pitched the first inning and shut down the Spartans the rest of the game with no hits allowed in her six-inning appearance.
Statistical Leaders
MSU
- Camryn Wincher | 1-3, R, RBI
- Macy Lee | 1-3, RBI
- Ashley Miller | 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 88 pitches
UNF
Notes
-
Takiya London, the UCF transfer, made her first appearance of the season as a pinch runner.
- Aguigui's score in the third gives her a run in seven of eight games this season.
- The Ospreys have now beaten a Power Five team in seven of the last eight seasons.
- This was Arends' first game of her career as an Osprey in which she did not allow a hit.
GAME 2 | UNF 4, MICHIGAN STATE 3
Arends returned to the mound for game two and picked up right where she left off, dealing 6.1 innings of ball without allowing an earned run, setting up the late-inning magic.
Pitchers of Record
Win:
Halle Arends (3-0)
Loss: Sarah Ladd (1-2)
Line Scores
MSU | 3 R, 8 H, 2 E, 7 LOB
UNF | 4 R, 8 H, 1 E, 5 LOB
Behind the Line Score
- Michigan State hopped in front again in the first, but the Ospreys got the run back just a half-inning later after Glover's RBI single.
- Each team had opportunities throughout the first few innings to add on to their scores, but both pitchers were able to keep the scoring at bay through the fourth inning.
-
Hadlee Reichert started another late rally for the Ospreys with a double to left center to set up Bejarano's second-straight game with a go-ahead RBI.
- The Ospreys were one out away from sealing the win, but the Spartans put together two hits and parlayed that into an RBI single down the right field line to tie the game back up at two.
- Michigan State added on another run in the top of the eighth to put pressure on the Ospreys, but a single by McGory with a throwing error by the Spartans was able to score the runner from second to tie it back up.
- Pfent ended the game with a walk-off RBI single to give the Ospreys their fourth win of the weekend and an 8-1 start to the 2022 season.
Statistical Leaders
MSU
- Jessica Mabrey | 2-4, R, RBI
- Camryn Wincher | 1-3, RBI
- Sarah Ladd | 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 39 pitches
UNF
Notes
- The Ospreys won all four games this weekend after facing an early deficit of one run or more.
- McGory continued her hitting dominance recording at least one hit in eight of the Ospreys' first nine games.
- It was UNF's first walk-off win since beating Stetson, 2-1, in 10 innings on Apr. 25, 2021.
- Arends still holds a 0.00 ERA with a 3-0 record and 18 strikeouts total.
Up Next
The Ospreys will make a quick turnaround for their midweek home-and-home series against Florida, in which they will play at home on Tuesday, Feb. 22, and then will travel to Gainesville on Wednesday, Feb. 23.
