CONWAY, Ark. - North Florida softball (15-10) struggled to find a spark against Central Arkansas (18-7), as it dropped the series finale, 12-2, in five innings to complete the ASUN-opening weekend on Sunday afternoon.
The Ospreys found themselves in a three-run deficit early and weren't able to recover through the course of the game.
Shannon Glover and
Logan Jackson drove in a pair of runs in the fourth, but four more runs allowed in the frame was too big of a hole to climb out of on the road.
UCA 12, UNF 2 (5 Inn.)
Pitchers of Record
Win: Jordan Johnson (8-3)
Loss:
Ashley Connor (5-6)
Line Scores
UNF | 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB
UCA | 12 R, 9 H, 1 E, 6 LOB
Behind the Line Score
- UCA picked up where it left off Saturday with a three-run home run in the first inning to go up, 3-0.
- Ashley Connor got out of a jam with runners in scoring position during the second inning to keep it a three-run game.
- A bases-loaded walk, followed by a grand slam, extended the Bears' lead to 8-0 in the third.
- Ashley Kirkbride broke up the no-hitter in the fourth with a double to left center to start the inning.
- Glover got the Ospreys on the board with an RBI single, followed with another RBI from Jackson to make it 8-2.
- UCA got more runs back in the bottom of the fourth after they scored four to go back up by 10 runs.
- Ospreys got two runners on base in the fifth, but a fielder's choice and fly out gave UCA the 12-2 win to close the series.
Statistical Leaders
UNF
Shannon Glover | 1-2, RBI
Ashley Kirkbride | 1-3, R
Ashley Connor | 3.0 IP, 4 H, 8 R, 2 K, 6 BB, 99 pitches
UCA
Morgan Nelson | 2-2, 5 RBI, 3 R, BB, 2 HRs
Jenna Wildeman | 2-3, 4 RBI, R, inside-the-park HR
Jordan Johnson | 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 K, 3 BB, 88 pitches
NOTES
- Glover had her second consecutive game with a hit.
- She joins Culp as the only two Ospreys with a hit in two or more games this weekend.
- Culp leaves the weekend as top hitter for UNF in conference play with a .375 average (3-for-8).
- Connor has appeared in 11 of the past 12 games, including starts in seven of those games.
- First time that Kayla Harper has started outside of the leadoff spot in the lineup.
UP NEXT
The Ospreys will return home to play in a midweek non-conference doubleheader against FAU on Wednesday, Mar. 22, starting at 3 p.m., in UNF Softball Complex.