LEESBURG, Fla. - North Florida softball (9-5) found a spark down five runs in the fourth inning to come back and win by three against Rutgers (10-4), 10-7, at The Spring Games on Saturday afternoon.

Kayla McGory ignited both scoring runs made in the game with her solo home run in the fourth to open the scoring for UNF, and then the RBI-single in the fifth that started a four-run frame. UNF was able to finish the comeback in the sixth inning after scoring two runs off a fielding error made by the Scarlet Knights.

The Ospreys have now won three Power Five games this season after beating Michigan State twice in their doubleheader matchup in the JU-UNF Invitational, and against Rutgers in The Spring Games. It's the first time that UNF has put together at least three wins against Power Five teams since the 2017 season, when they defeated Kansas, Rutgers, and Georgia Tech twice.
 

Mood after the comeback dub ??#SWOOPLife // #BirdsOfClay pic.twitter.com/c2YzbQBt7p

— UNF Softball (@OspreySB) February 27, 2022

UNF 10, RUTGERS 7

Pitchers of Record
Win: Halle Arends (4-1)
Loss: Jaden Vickers (6-1)
Save: Morgan Clausen (1)

Line Scores
UNF | 10 R, 10 H, 1 E, 5 LOB
RU | 7 R, 9 H, 3 E, 6 LOB

Behind the Line Score
- Rutgers jumped onto the scene in the second inning when it turned a pair of singles to go up two runs. A triple followed, moving Rutgers ahead, 5-0.
- The Ospreys struggled offensively in the first three innings after failing to record a hit the first time through the lineup.
- Kayla McGory took matters into her own hands in the fourth when she sent one over the fence in left field to put UNF on the board.
- Later in the inning, Logan Jackson smacked a triple of her own down the line to send in a run and cut the deficit to three.
- Rutgers responded in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single to go back up by four.
- UNF tied the game in the fifth inning after McGory's RBI single set up Hayley Bejarano to drive a double in left field, sending two more runners across home.
- Kayla Harper was able to reach base on an error in the sixth that allowed two runners to score.
- Abi Annett put the icing on the cake with an RBI double that sealed the comeback win and gave the Ospreys their first victory at The Spring Games.

Statistical Leaders
UNF

• Kayla McGory | 2-4, 2 RBI, R, HR
• Hayley Bejarano | 2-3, 2 RBI
• Shannon Glover | 1-3, 2 RBI
• Kayla Harper | 2 R, RBI
• Halle Arends | 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 68 pitches

RU

• Gabrielle Callaway | 2-3, 2 RBI
• Taylor Fawcett | 2-4, RBI, R
• Jaden Vickers | 2.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, K, 32 pitches

Notes
- First time since 2017 that UNF has won at least three games against Power Five teams in a season.
- First time in program history that the Ospreys have played seven straight games against Power Five teams, going 3-4 in those games, and eight total in a season.
- Three of the five losses to Power Five teams this season have been by two runs or less.
- Largest comeback for the Ospreys since overcoming a five-run deficit to College of Charleston on Feb. 8, 2020.
- Ties a season-high in runs scored in a game with the 10-2 victory over Winthrop on the opening weekend.
- Paige Pfent adds another game to her on-base streak to make the new total 28.
- Gianna Niemeier made her first start of the season as the designated player.

UP NEXT

The Ospreys will finish out their time at The Spring Games when they play in an early-morning battle against Princeton, and then wrap up the five-game slate against Siena tomorrow, February 27.