All Things Osprey: Softball dominates, baseball slays Boston College

Riley Platt, Sports Editor
March 7, 2022

Basketball season may be over, but things on the diamond are starting to heat up at the University of North Florida.

UNF softball has gotten off to a phenomenal start to their season, winning 16 of their first 21 games. The Ospreys hosted the UNF-JU Spring Break Challenge over the weekend, seeing teams from New Jersey and Pennsylvania come to campus.

These far-flung opponents weren’t enough for the Ospreys, who won all five of their games during the event. UNF put up a total of 27 runs, while refusing to allow a single run defensively. The Ospreys have now gone seven consecutive games without allowing a run, a truly impressive feat.

UNF catcher Dallen Leach takes his lead off of third base on Tuesday’s game against Florida.
UNF catcher Dallen Leach takes his lead off of third base on Tuesday’s game against Florida on March 1. (Riley Platt)

Speaking of hosting, baseball played one of their biggest home games of the year when the Florida Gators came to town on Tuesday. Fans of both the Ospreys and Gators alike packed Harmon Stadium, giving the venue an energetic atmosphere.

The Ospreys weren’t able to knock off the nationally-ranked Gators, but they did pick up their second win of the season on Wednesday against the South Florida Bulls. This win came courtesy of an Aidan Sweatt walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The action continued into the weekend, with the Ospreys hosting the Boston College Eagles. The Eagles are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, one of the most prestigious leagues in collegiate athletics. UNF struggled in the first two games of the series, but the offense came through on Sunday to pick up a big win.

Sunday’s match saw the Ospreys put up 17 runs en route to their third win of the season. It was smooth sailing after UNF posted five runs in the first inning, holding onto the lead from thereon.

Nearby the baseball and softball complexes is the home of UNF beach volleyball. The squad took to the sand this weekend in the UNF Invitational, hosting teams from as far as the Midwest.

The Ospreys took four of five matches, taking down teams like the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. UNF capped off the weekend with a dominant win over Jacksonville University.

Unfortunately, basketball season came to a close this week as both the men’s and women’s teams went down in the ASUN tournament. The men’s squad lost to Lipscomb on Tuesday, while the women fell to nationally-ranked Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday.

With things continuing to heat up around campus, make sure to follow along with All Things Osprey for your weekly update on UNF athletics!

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