Softball snatches doubleheader from Georgia Southern

Riley Platt, Sports Editor

The University of North Florida Ospreys took it to the Georgia Southern University in a non-conference affair on Wednesday, sweeping the Eagles in a doubleheader.

The Ospreys entered on a three-game win streak after last weekend’s sweep of Bellarmine University. This momentum did not come to an end, as UNF won both in nail-biting and dominant fashion against Georgia Southern.

Wednesday’s first game saw the Eagles strike first, plating one in the top of the first inning. The Ospreys were quick to respond, though, with a two-run RBI double by Abi Annett giving UNF their first lead of the afternoon.

This didn’t last long, as Georgia Southern tied the game on an RBI double in the top of the second. Longtime Osprey Shannon Glover couldn’t stand to see the lead disappear, as she followed this up with a home run in the bottom of the third to push UNF back in front 3-2.

Scoring went quiet until the sixth inning, when the Eagles tied the game 3-3 to keep their hopes alive. UNF was able to regain the lead with a Kelsey Vogel RBI single, which proved to be the game-winning run as the Ospreys pulled off a 4-3 win in the opener.

While the UNF offense ramped up in the second game, this wasn’t the case for the Eagles. Redshirt-senior pitcher Skyler Stockie took the circle and shut things down. Georgia Southern was held scoreless for all seven innings of the doubleheader’s back end.

The offensive attack was slow and steady for the Ospreys, scoring just one run in the first three innings. This changed in the bottom of the fourth, when catcher Mackenzie Woods drove in a run to make it a 2-0 lead for UNF.

More runs followed in the fifth and sixth innings as the Eagles offense remained motionless. These wouldn’t be necessary, as the Ospreys cruised to a 5-0 victory. This extended UNF’s winning streak to five games, their longest since early March.

The Ospreys now sit second in the ASUN Conference’s east division at 16-8 in conference play. This places them as the current No. 3 overall seed if the tournament was to start today. 

UNF has just two three-game series remaining before then, with the first of those starting on Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast University. They will then return home to cap things off against their rivals, the Jacksonville University Dolphins.

___

For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email protected].