JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida softball (27-14, 11-4 ASUN) could not pull off the comeback in its rubber match with Florida Gulf Coast (28-15, 11-4) on Saturday afternoon at UNF Softball Complex.
The Ospreys got off on the wrong foot with four runs allowed in the top of the first to FGCU, but cut the lead in half with a two-run
Allison Benning bomb. Five scoreless innings went by until the bottom of the seventh when a
Chloe Culp double, followed by an RBI-single from
Hadlee Reichert, set up a two-out rally. Trailing by only one run and a runner of first, UNF had a chance to tie the game, but fell just short in the one-run loss to the Eagles.
Kylah Berry pitched one of her best games in an Osprey uniform during conference play in relief of Benning. After the first inning, she spun six innings of scoreless softball with only three hits allowed and a pair of punchies.
FGCU 4, UNF 3
Pitchers of Record
Win: Allison Sparkman (8-2)
Loss: Allison Benning (16-7)
Save: Angelina Bonilla (7)
Line Scores
FGCU | 4 R, 6 H, 1 E, 3 LOB
UNF | 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 5 LOB
Statistical Leaders
UNF
Chloe Culp | 2-3
Hadlee Reichert | 1-2, RBI, R, BB
Allison Benning | 1-1, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, two-run HR; 1.0 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 38 pitches
Kylah Berry | 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 75 pitches
FGCU
Meagan Ricks | 1-3, 2 RBI, R
McKenzie Wittenberg | 1-3, 2 RBI
Allison Sparkman | 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 69 pitches
NOTES
- Berry had a fantastic day in the circle in relief for Benning with only three hits allowed in six innings.
- Benning added to her home run total with her 11th long bomb of the season.
- The junior notched her team-leading 12th multi-RBI game as well.
- She also has reached safely on base in each of her past eight games.
- Culp had her second two-hit game of the '24 season and her first since FAU on Feb. 13.
UP NEXT
The Ospreys shift its focus to the upcoming River City Rumble weekend series against Jacksonville from Apr. 19-21 at Fred & Debbie Pruitt Softball Complex.
