JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Kayla Harper sent North Florida softball (29-21-1, 10-11-1 ASUN) home with a walk-off win against Jacksonville (23-26, 9-13 ASUN), 5-4, to open the River City Rumble on Thursday evening at the UNF Softball Complex.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh with a tie score,
Savannah Channell coaxed a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sac bunt. Up 1-0, Harper lined one into left center to plate the winning run and secure an extremely important game one win.
UNF 5, JU 4
Pitchers of Record
Win:
Skyler Stockie (4-3)
Loss: Shelby Harpe (5-7)
Line Scores
JU | 4 R, 10 H, 0 E, 5 LOB
UNF | 5 R, 7 H, 0 E, 3 LOB
Behind the Line Score
- JU pushed across a run in the first with some small ball. A leadoff single, passed ball, sac bunt and sac fly gave the Dolphins a 1-0 lead.
- After making two great plays in the field, Shannon Glover cleared the bags with a three-RBI double in the third. The left fielder plated Channell, Hadlee Reichert and Harper following a hit by pitch, infield single and walk.
- Harper was part of an insurance run in the fifth. Harper reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and scored when a Kelsey Vogel single was sent into right. Harper waited for Vogel to get into a run down going to second as the speedy baserunner took advantage of the decoy for the run.
- JU finally got some balls to fall in the outfield, with an RBI double and two-run home run to left center tying things up, 4-4, in the sixth.
- UNF made a very unconventional but clutch double play to stymie JU in the seventh. With one out and runners at first and second, a slightly errant through on the double play turned tempted the JU runner to score. But, Logan Jackson spun and threw her out at the plate.
- North Florida walked it off in the seventh. After Channell drew a leadoff walk, a sac bunt moved Grace Hogie to second. Harper came up clutch, sending Hogie home for the win.
Statistical Leaders
UNF
Kayla Harper | 2-3, RBI, 2 R, BB, game-winning RBI double
Shannon Glover | 1-3, 3 RBI
Abi Annett | 2-3
Ashley Connor | 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 K, 2 BB, 78 pitches
JU
Kailey Harrigan | 2-3, 2 RBI, R
Madison Reynolds | 3-4, 2 R
Allison Bratek 1-3, 2 RBI, R
Emma Whitfield | 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 K, 2 BB, 56 pitches
NOTES
- First walk-off victory since opening weekend against Georgetown on Feb. 12.
- Harper picked up her 11th multi-hit game, while Annett added her seventh as well.
- Glover recorded her third game on the season with three or more RBI.
- She also extends her hitting streak to seven games and her on-base streak to eight.
- Both Glover and Chloe Culp have 75 RBIs combined between the pair, which both ranks top five in the ASUN.
- Skyler Stockie earned her fourth win of the season after coming into relief for Connor in the sixth.
UP NEXT
The Ospreys return for the second game of the series against Jacksonville in the River City Rumble on Friday, May 5, at 7 p.m., in UNF Softball Complex.
