Gallery photos by Camille Shaw and Morgan Purvis
[doptg id=”126″]After starting the season off with a UNF Division I best 7-0 record, the UNF softball team dropped its final two games of its home tournament on Saturday, Feb. 14.
The team lost for the first time this season in game three of the home tournament to Virginia Tech, 7-4. They also lost the next game to Jacksonville State University, 6-5.
“We had ourselves in position to win both games,” UNF Head Coach Marcie Hickey said. “In the game against Virginia Tech we came out strong and had runners in scoring positions a few times, but couldn’t come up with the hit we needed to score them.”
The Ospreys (7-2) took a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Virginia Tech (9-1). The Hokies fought back quickly though, scoring four runs in the second inning. They would never trail for the rest of the game. Virginia Tech pitcher Maggie Tyler picked up the win to put her at 4-0 on the season.
Jacksonville State (6-4) beat the Ospreys in extra innings after UNF made a seventh-inning comeback. Down 5-1 in the top of the seventh, the Ospreys scored four runs to send the game into extras. The game ended in the bottom of the ninth in heart-breaking fashion for UNF as senior pitcher Kaylie Wallace walked Jacksonville State’s Melanie Steer with the bases loaded. The walk drove second baseman Sara Borders home to seal the victory for the Gamecocks.
“In the second game we just made too many mistakes,” Hickey said. “We started the game sloppy but battled our way back in the seventh to force extra innings. We played great down the stretch but put ourselves in too much of a hole early.”
UNF’s next game will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the UNF Softball Complex against Florida A&M. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
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