JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - North Florida softball (26-8, 5-3 ASUN) split its doubleheader against Jacksonville State (18-13, 2-3 ASUN) on Saturday afternoon, as the North Florida pitching staff stood tall on its way to 24 strikeouts over the twin bill.

Halle Arends pitched the first game with only one earned run allowed and nine strikeouts, but UNF fell short in a 2-1 loss. Morgan Clausen brought the Ospreys back into the win column in game two with a career-best 15 strikeouts for another complete-game. Paige Pfent also launched a two-run bomb to left center in the first inning during the win.

Clausen, the conference leader in ERA, was one strikeout shy of grabbing a share of the program record for most strikeouts in a game during the 4-0 shutout. Clausen's ERA is now an absurdly low, 0.44.

GAME 1 | JSU 2, UNF 1

Arends threw a strong game with nine strikeouts in six innings pitched, but two runs scored by the Gamecocks in the second lifted them to a 2-1 victory in the first game of the day.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Kat Carter (10-7)
Loss: Halle Arends (12-2)

Line Scores
UNF | 1 R, 5 H, 1 E, 4 LOB
JSU | 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 7 LOB

Behind the Line Score
- Kayla McGory started the game by belting a hit to left field and stealing second, but was later thrown out in a run-down at home plate.
- Arends got things started in the circle early after striking out two batters to end the first inning.
- A walk and an error to open the second set up the Gamecocks to score two runs after a pair of sac bunts brought in runners from third.
- Arends notched a pair of strikeouts in the third and fourth innings to give her seven K's through four.
- Abi Annett blasted a solo bomb over the left field fence with the first pitch of the fifth inning to cut the deficit to one run.
- The Ospreys had a chance to tie after a single by Pfent put the tying run on second, but a pop-up in foul territory ended the sixth.
- The defense forced a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth to set them up with a chance to tie the game in the final inning.
- Annett was able to get on base with a single with no outs in the seventh, but the Gamecocks were able to close out the 2-1 win in the first doubleheader.

Statistical Leaders
UNF

• Abi Annett | 2-3, RBI, R, solo home run
• Paige Pfent | 2-3
• Kayla McGory | 1-2
• Halle Arends | 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 9 K, 94 pitches

JSU

• Megan Fortner | 2-3
• Kyndal Tinnell | 1-1
• Abbi Perkins | 1-3
• Kat Carter | 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 5 K, 91 pitches

GAME 2 | UNF 4, JSU 0

Clausen follows up Arends' performance in the circle with a career-best 15 strikeouts in her fourth complete-game shutout win of the season.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Morgan Clausen (7-2)
Loss: Sarah Currie (6-3)

Line Scores
UNF | 4 R, 7 H, 0 E, 2 LOB
JSU | 0 R, 3 H, 0 E, 5 LOB

Behind the Line Score
- Pfent brought the damage early in the second game with a two-run homer to left center in the first inning.
- Clausen set the tone early, striking out five batters in the first two innings pitched.
- The Ospreys started stringing hits together after Bailee Aguigui turned on the jets for a triple and Kayla Harper batted her in to go up three runs.
- Pfent then sent Harper home after she stole second base to end the third inning with a 4-0 lead.
- Clausen tossed a few more strikeouts to rack up her total to eight K's in four innings.
- The offense for UNF stalled through the middle innings, but Clausen continued to deal with 12 combined strikeouts through six innings.
- Clausen ended the game ringing up the last three batters to finish the game with 15 strikeouts and a shutout victory.

Statistical Leaders
UNF

• Paige Pfent | 2-3, 3 RBI, R, two-run homer
• Kayla Harper | 2-3, 2 R, RBI
• Bailee Aguigui | 1-3, R, triple
• Regan Hermeling | 2-3
• Morgan Clausen | 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 15 K, 79 pitches

JSU

• Sidney Wagnon | 1-3
• Karsen Mosley | 1-3
• Keeli Bobbitt | 1-2
• Sarah Currie | 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 K, 87 pitches

NOTES

- Clausen's 15 strikeouts was one strikeout shy of the program single-game record of 16 K's set by current assistant coach Cortney Radke.
- Second home run of the season in the first game for Annett after hitting her first-career homer last week.
- Pfent also added her fifth home run of the season in the second game, which now leads the team.
- Arends and Clausen combined for 24 strikeouts over both games of the doubleheader.
- The 4-0 victory in game two was the 15th shutout for the Ospreys this season; first since doubleheader against Bucknell.
- Aguigui made her first starts since the Michigan State doubleheader on Feb. 20.

UP NEXT

The Ospreys end the weekend road series with a final game at Jacksonville State starting at 2 pm ET on Sunday afternoon.