JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Down by two runs in the seventh inning, North Florida softball stayed alive to force extra innings and walked off Jacksonville to open the River City Rumble weekend with a 5-4 win on Thursday evening at UNF Softball Complex.

The Ospreys fell to a three-run deficit through the first two innings but got themselves into position to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. After Chloe Culp and Mackenzie Woods got on base, Hadlee Reichert came through in the clutch with a game-tying two-run RBI double to left field to send the game to extra innings.

After scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth innings, both teams added ghost runners to second base. JU scored a run in the top of the inning, but UNF immediately responded to go along with the walk-off shot to center field from Culp for the Ospreys' fourth win against JU on the season.

Culp, who is an Florida State transfer and a Tallahassee, Fla., native came back from missing the past four games due to injury and responded with a four-hit performance, including the walk-off winner. She becomes the 25th D-I Osprey to notch four hits in a game and the second time this season with at least three hits against JU.

Allison Benning smashed her 32nd career home run in her 100th game played as an Osprey to break the D-I program record for career home runs. She also tied her own D-I single season program mark with the historic homer in the fourth inning.

The dynamic freshmen pitching duo of Macie Hunolt and Taylor Cook held it down in the circle after being down by three runs early in the game. Between the two, they covered nine innings combined with no earned runs allowed, seven strikeouts and only five hits allowed.

UNF 5, JU 4 (10 Inn.)

Pitchers of Record
Win: Taylor Cook (2-1)
Loss: Skylar Waggoner (5-7)

Line Scores
JU | 4 R, 7 H, 1 E, 9 LOB
UNF | 5 R, 7 H, 1 E, 6 LOB

Statistical Leaders
UNF
Chloe Culp | 4-5, RBI, walk-off RBI single
Allison Benning | 1-2, RBI, R, 3 BB, solo HR
Hadlee Reichert | 1-4, 2 RBI, game-tying two-run RBI double
Taylor Cook | 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 57 pitches

JU
Averi Harcus | 2-5, 3 RBI
Madison Bratek | 1-4, RBI, 2 R, BB
Haley Fox | 2-5, R
Skylar Waggoner | 9.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 157 pitches

UP NEXT

North Florida continues its three-day series in the River City Rumble on Friday, April 18, set for another 7 p.m., start at UNF ASUN Complex.