Fresh off its best start in Division One program history, the University of North Florida softball team dropped a pair of midweek games to the University of Florida softball team, losing 7-3 on Tuesday and 10-0 on Wednesday.

Seven different Ospreys recorded hits in both games, including four players notching extra-base knocks. Across the diamond, Florida softball’s bats proved to be too much, posting seven home runs and 17 total runs.

Game One at Florida softball

Facing Florida’s ace, Junior Keagan Rothrock, senior Hallie Langford started off the inning with a walk. Designated player Addie Keef sacrificed Langford to second base. With a runner in scoring position, the next Ospreys struck out, allowing UF to evade the threat.

Similarly, UF drew a one-out walk and moved the runner to second on a single. Escaping the early jam, sophomore Taylor Cook got the next two Gators out, putting soft contact right into Osprey players’ gloves. 

Tied at zero, infielder Hannah Davila lined a double to right center, placing another Osprey in scoring position. However, senior Ayden Allen grounded out to first and the first baseman caught Allen running to third for a double play. 

In the bottom half of the inning, UF’s number nine hitter broke the scoreless tie, poking a double to left field. Leading 2-0, Florida’s big power bat Joceyln Erickson singled to right, extending the Gators’ advantage to 3-0.

For the first time in this game, UNF went down in order in the third. In the bottom half, junior Cassidy McLellan went yard, towering an opposite-field home run to left field, adding to Florida’s offensive onslaught.

Despite this deficit, the Ospreys weren’t going down quietly. Three innings later, the Ospreys’ bats awakened. At this point, the Ospreys were manufacturing baserunners, but not bringing anyone home. 

To start the sixth inning, Keef singled, making it four out of six Ospreys reaching base to start an inning. Sophomore Grace Shaw sliced a double to left, scoring Keef and removing North Florida’s goose egg.

Reducing their deficit to a pair, junior Bella Cimino skied her team-leading third home run over the right field fence. Now, the Ospreys only trailed 5-3 with no outs in the sixth. Next, junior Hannah Davila nearly beat out a ground ball to first, but was called out by the umpire.

Head coach Jeff Conrad asked for a review and it was upheld after instant video replay. The following two Ospreys failed to reach base and UNF never brought the tying run to the plate.

Erickson padded Florida’s lead, homering in the sixth inning to make it 7-3 UF. This ended up being the final score after UNF was retired in order, closing out the game.

Game Two v.s. Florida softball

The Gators didn’t waste any time jumping out to a lead. Immediately, Erickson removed the zero on the scoreboard, clobbering her second home run in as many at-bats, carrying over from the previous night.

Two batters later, another Gator crushed a home run. Florida’s starting pitcher worked a walk, prompting the removal of Ospreys starting pitcher, Cameron Ponich, who allowed her first runs of the season during this inning.

“[Ponich] has been really good,” Conrad said, referring to the current season production. “She’s a kid that when we recruited, we knew had a lot of talent, and it was just when was it going to all come together?”

Before this start, Ponich had thrown nearly 17.2 scoreless innings. Like the previous game, UNF started the game with a leadoff walk, but the Ospreys couldn’t advance Langford past second.

The next inning, the Gators more than doubled their lead, pushing it to 7-0 on a pair of home runs. After the home runs, Conrad took the ball from pitcher Kadyn Camper, substituting her for Macie Hunolt.

Down a touchdown, Caiden Olivia lined a single up the middle with one out in the second. This was UNF’s first hit of the game, but nothing came from it.

Kayln McCathry led off the third with a double, North Florida’s first and only extra base hit this game. The Ospreys loaded the bases with two outs, setting up an opportunity for Davilia. Limiting the damage, Davila hit a sharp grounder to second base, ending the inning.

UF added another run in the fourth to, at least for now, unless UNF scored in the home half, set the run-rule into effect. The Ospreys didn’t put a runner on base in the fourth or fifth. Defensively, UNF gave up two more runs in the fifth, ensuring the final score of 10-0.

With both results, UNF falls to 11-3 while UF improves to 14-0. 

Postgame Reaction 

Even though the Ospreys lost decisively in both games, Conrad said these results don’t change much for the team.

“Our goal is to make it to a Super Regional,” Conrad said. “To get there, getting to a team like Florida is part of the process. So really, what these two games were was just an opportunity for us to kind of see where we’re at three weeks into the season.”

While they aren’t pushing the panic button, Conrad said he wants his team to hit better with runners on base.

“We’re leaving too many runners on base,” Conrad said. “I think we got the right kids coming up to the plate. We’re just not executing and driving in those opportunities.”

UNF will have plenty of chances to bring runners home this weekend, when the Ospreys travel out west for the ‘Purple Classic.’ The Ospreys will face San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, Grand Canyon and Montana in Phoenix, Arizona, from Feb. 20-22

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