Both the University of North Florida Ospreys baseball and softball teams won a pair of weekend series against the Stetson University Hatters thanks to high-powered offense and resilience. 

A unique occurrence took place on the UNF campus this past weekend as both the school’s baseball and softball squads faced off against the same opponent. They got there by different paths, but the Ospreys’ teams combined for 39 runs across six games to get two series wins.

Friday

The in-state ASUN Conference rivals were in action on Friday, with baseball kicking off an action packed three-day stretch. The Hatters swung open the gates, scoring three runs in the first inning. The Ospreys responded with a Jakob Runnels RBI single, but there was still plenty of work to be done.

A fielding error in the bottom of the fifth helped UNF inch closer, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Just like that, though, a home run by Stetson infielder David Bermudez stretched the lead back to 5-2, which they would further stretch in the following inning.

Down 7-2, UNF rallied in the seventh inning to cut the deficit back to two runs. Despite getting within reach, it wasn’t enough, as Stetson closed out a 7-5 win to get an early lead in the series.

Saturday

Softball got things going on Saturday with a doubleheader, with the Ospreys taking both games by nearly-identical scores. The first game saw an early afternoon start, with UNF leading the entire way. It was never in doubt, as sophomore pitcher Ashley Connor locked up the Stetson offense by allowing just one run across seven innings.

The 5-1 win to start was nice, but UNF wasn’t satisfied. The Ospreys wasted no time, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after just two innings. The Hatters countered with a pair of late runs, but UNF was able to cruise to a 5-2 win to secure the series win.

Across the pathway at Harmon Stadium, the baseball teams squared off again in an offense-filled showdown. Whatever head coach Tim Parenton told his players following Friday’s loss, it worked.

The Ospreys played smashmouth baseball, driving in five runs in the first inning. The barrage at the plate continued, taking a 8-0 run into the seventh inning. The Hatters created some havoc of their own, plating six to get the game back within two runs.

UNF swung right back, quite literally, scoring eight in the bottom frame to complete a 16-6 mercy rule win to even the series at one game a piece.

Sunday

While softball had guaranteed themselves a series win on Saturday, there was still one game left to be played. In a rather forgettable outing, the Ospreys were shutout in a 1-0 loss. While it’s a disappointing way to end the weekend, they can’t lose sight of their impressive dominance on Saturday.

Baseball, on the other hand, still had a series on the line Sunday. Unlike the first two games, three scoreless innings opened up the decisive game three. Bermudez came through once again for the Hatters, driving in the first run of the game in the fourth.

UNF was quick to match, adding on another four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Down 5-1, Stetson stormed back to snatch a 6-5 lead. They added onto this in the top of the ninth, expanding the lead to 7-5.

The Ospreys rallied in the bottom half of the ninth with a pair of RBI singles by infielder Aidan Sweatt and outfielder Austin Brinling to give UNF a 8-7 win, taking the series two games to one. 

UNF showed their ASUN opposition that, despite Stetson’s success in recent years, the Ospreys are just as much of a force to be reckoned with. 

Softball resumes play on Wednesday against UCF in a road duel, while baseball won’t take the field again until Friday against Eastern Kentucky in the Bluegrass State.

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