FORT MYERS, Fla. - After coming up clutch and forcing both games to go to extra innings, North Florida softball (27-21-1, 8-11-1 ASUN) left Saturday with a split against Florida Gulf Coast (29-22, 11-9 ASUN) during the final doubleheader matchup of the regular season on Saturday afternoon.
The Ospreys came back from from a 4-1 deficit in the first game, but failed to score a run in the eighth inning against FGCU as the Eagles won, 6-5. In the second game, UNF came back down two runs with two outs in the seventh to tie the game before scoring the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk in a 3-2 win.
Kayla Harper was the hero in the seventh inning of the second doubleheader with the two-RBI triple to score the runs necessary to force free softball.
Mackenzie Woods held strong in the box through 12 pitches to force the walk and score the go-ahead run in the eighth.
GAME 1 | FGCU 6, UNF 5 (8 Inn.)
The Ospreys faced three different deficits in which they came back to tie the score, but a walk-off double in the eighth gave FGCU the first game of the day in extras.
Pitchers of Record
Win: Baylee Haggard (5-3)
Loss:
Skyler Stockie (3-3)
Line Scores
UNF | 5 R, 8 H, 1 E, 6 LOB
FGCU | 6 R, 12 H, 2 E, 7 LOB
Behind the Line Score
- FGCU struck first with a solo home run in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead.
- Hadlee Reichert got the first hit of the game for the Ospreys in the third but was left on base.
- The Eagles tripled with two outs in the third, but a foul out kept her in scoring position.
- Shannon Glover got on top of one and tied the game with a solo shot to left field in the fourth.
- FGCU responded in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer of their own to go back up by a run.
- The Eagles continued the scoring with two more runs added to the score to extend their lead to 4-1.
- Two singles from Kelsey Vogel and Glover, followed by RBI doubles from Chloe Culp and Abi Annett, tied the game back up in the sixth at four runs apiece.
- FGCU scored in the bottom of the sixth to go back up one, but the Ospreys came right back with a run in the seventh to make it 5-5.
- After UNF went 1-2-3 to start extra innings, FGCU paired singles with an RBI double to walk it off for the first game.
Statistical Leaders
UNF
Shannon Glover | 3-4, 3 R, RBI, solo HR
Abi Annett | 1-3, 2 RBI, BB
Chloe Culp | 1-4, RBI, R
Skyler Stockie | 6.2 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 4 K, 1 BB, 104 pitches
FGCU
Tayli Filla | 2-4, 2 RBI, R, solo HR
Neely Peterson | 1-4, RBI, R, BB, solo HR
Meagan Ricks | 2-4, RBI, walk-off RBI double
Angelina Bonilla | 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 K, 1 BB, 91 pitches
GAME 2 | UNF 3, FGCU 2 (8 Inn.)
Down to the final out, Harper hit a triple to score two runs and send the game to extras on their way to winning the back half of the doubleheader.
Pitchers of Record
Win:
Ashley Connor (11-12)
Loss: Claire Maulding (4-6)
Line Scores
UNF | 3 R, 8 H, 1 E, 9 LOB
FGCU | 2 R, 8 H, 0 E, 8 LOB
Behind the Line Score
- FGCU went to an early lead in the first inning once again in the second doubleheader game with a sac-fly score.
- Harper singled and stole second in the third, but was left in scoring position after a fly-out ended the inning.
- After allowing a leadoff single, Ashley Connor worked through the next three batters to keep the deficit at one run.
- A two-out RBI double in the fourth from FGCU extended their lead to two runs after the run advanced to second earlier in the at bat on a wild pitch.
- Ospreys were building momentum on offense in the fifth, but left a pair of runners on base after three consecutive outs.
- With two outs and runners on first and second, Harper shot one down the right field line to send home the runners and tie the game in the top of the seventh.
- After a 1-2-3 inning that ended in a strikeout, the Ospreys forced their second extra innings game of the day.
- With the bases loaded and two outs, Woods forced an RBI walk on her 12th pitch of the at bat after six consecutive foul balls to give UNF the lead.
- FGCU had a runner on first in the bottom of the eighth, but a fly-out for the third out gave UNF the comeback win on the road.
Statistical Leaders
UNF
Kayla Harper | 3-4, 2 RBI, game-tying RBI triple
Mackenzie Woods | 1-2, RBI, 2 BB, go-ahead RBI walk
Shannon Glover | 1-4, R
Ashley Connor | 8.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 2 BB, 121 pitches
FGCU
Tiffany Meek | 3-4, RBI
Olivia Black | 2-3
Ally Hulme | 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB, 54 pitches
NOTES
- Glover picked up her 100th-career RBI with the solo home run in the first doubleheader game.
- The senior owns 11 of the 22 total home runs hit by the Ospreys this season.
- She also has 14 multi-hit games with this being her fifth three-hit game of the year.
- All five hitters at the top of the lineup recorded a hit for UNF in the first game against FGCU.
- Harper increases her steal total to 24, which ranks top two in the conference.
- Also had her second three-hit game of the season and 10th multi-hit game as well.
- Third game this season that Connor has pitched eight innings and the first time earning the win.
UP NEXT
The Ospreys end their final road trip of the regular season with their series finale against FGCU on Sunday, Apr. 30, at 1 p.m.