JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida softball (1-1) opened its season with a run-ruled shutout victory, 8-0, against IUPUI (1-1) to start off Jeff Conrad's head coaching tenure at UNF, but later lost to Syracuse (1-1), 10-4, to cap off opening day of the 2023 season in the River City Leadoff on Friday afternoon at UNF Softball Complex.

The Ospreys had their bats firing on all cylinders against the Jaguars, as three Ospreys recorded multiple hits to jump to a 1-0 start on the year. Hadlee Reichert went perfect from the plate with three hits in three at-bats, while the Florida State transfer, Chloe Culp, batted in four runs in her Osprey debut.

Izzy Kelly was also a impact player from the circle with 4.0 innings pitched with two strikeouts and no runs allowed against IUPUI. This was only the fifth game in her career pitching four or more innings for the Ospreys after serving as a reliever for most of her collegiate tenure.

GAME 1 | UNF 8, IUPUI 0 (5 Inn.)

A five-run explosion on offense in the second inning vaulted the Ospreys to an 8-0 run-rule win in Conrad's first game as the head coach for UNF. A three-hour weather delay couldn't stop the momentum with Reichert bringing in the run the secure the victory in the home opener.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Izzy Kelly (1-0)
Loss: Madison Bryant (0-1)

Line Scores
IUPUI | 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 5 LOB
UNF | 8 R, 10 H, 1 E, 4 LOB

Behind the Line Score

• Kelly started the season with an easy 1-2-3 inning that included two groundouts to Savannah Channell.
• Kayla Harper and Culp worked walks, but nothing came of it in the first inning.
• The first run of the season was scored by Channell after a throwing error was made by IUPUI.
• Reichert and Logan Jackson both hit RBI singles shortly after to expand the lead to 3-0.
• Culp opened the game up with a long-shot double to center field to spend in two more runs in the second.
• Kelly got out of a jam in the third with runners on the corners to keep the shutout going for UNF.
• Both Channell and Culp made spectacular catches on defense to save hits the the middle innings.
• Culp added to her day with another RBI double that stretched the lead to 7-0.
• Jolie Gustave entered in the fifth for Kelly and got out another jam to keep the seven-run advantage.
• After nearly a three hour delay, Reichert came out swinging in the fifth to force a run-rule win with an RBI single.

Statistical Leaders
UNF
Chloe Culp | 2-2, 4 RBI, BB
Hadlee Reichert | 3-3, 2 RBI, R
Savannah Channell | 2-3, R
Logan Jackson | 1-2, RBI, R
Izzy Kelly | 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K

IUPUI
Kennedy Cowan | 1-2
Jaida Speth | 1-1
Madison Bryant | 3.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 K

GAME 2 | SU 10, UNF 4

Ospreys suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Orange, as they let up nine consecutive runs over the first three innings in a 10-4 loss on Friday night. Both Shannon Glover and Culp recorded a hit and an RBI in the game to put runs on the board late for UNF.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Madison Knight (1-0)
Loss: Skyler Stockie (0-1)

Line Scores
SU | 10 R, 11 H, 2 E, 10 LOB
UNF | 4 R, 5 H, 4 E, 9 LOB

Behind the Line Score

• Skyler Stockie surrendered four runs in the first inning after a fielding error scored a run, followed by two singles to give Syracuse an early 4-0 lead.
• Harper and Glover both coaxed walks, but the Ospreys stranded both on base at the bottom of the first.
• The Orange hit a solo home run with one out in the second, which led to two more runs scoring later in the inning to expand their lead to seven runs.
• Kelly entered the game for Stockie and closed out the inning with a groundout to second.
• Culp put the Ospreys on the scoreboard with a single up the middle that scored Harper from second.
• SU added more runs in the third on an RBI single that scored two, along with one more in the fourth.
• The UNF offense came alive in the fifth inning with their backs against the wall with two runs scored, highlighted by an RBI double by Glover.
• They added another run in the sixth inning with Kirsten Caravaca scoring off the throwing error by the third baseman.
• Culp was able to get on base in the seventh with a walk, but SU shut down three straight to give the UNF its first loss on the year.

Statistical Leaders
UNF
Shannon Glover | 1-3, RBI, BB
Chloe Culp | 1-2, RBI, 2 BB
Kirsten Caravaca | 1-1, 2 R, BB
Jolie Gustave | 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 K

SU
Angel Jasso | 2-4, 3 R, RBI, solo HR, BB
Laila Alves | 2-3, 4 RBI, BB
Ryan Starr | 2-4, 3 R, SB, BB
Madison Knight | 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K; 2-4, 2 RBI, R, BB

NOTES

• First win for Jeff Conrad as the head softball coach of the North Florida Ospreys.
• Culp was the only newcomer in the starting lineup against IUPUI.
• Madisyn Federico joined Culp in making her UNF debut as a starter against Syracuse.
• First time in program history that the Ospreys won their first game of the season with a run-ruled victory.
• Also the first time since 2005 that UNF posted a shutout in the opening game of the year.
• Most runs scored in a season-opener since 2012, as they both hit the eight run mark.
• First time playing both IUPUI and Syracuse in program history as well.
• Gustave faced her former team, Syracuse, on her first competition day as an Osprey.
• Stockie made her first appearance in the circle since the 2021 season.
• UNF looks to avenge their loss on Friday to the Orange in a rematch on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.

UP NEXT

The Ospreys will continue onto the second day of the River City Leadoff with another pair of matchups between Furman and Georgetown on Saturday starting at 5 p.m.