JACKSONVILLE - North Florida softball forced extra innings with a seventh-inning rally, then plated the winning run in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win over visiting Georgia Southern on Friday evening at the UNF Softball Complex.
The Ospreys improved to 2-4 with the victory, while Georgia Southern fell to 1-5. The two teams will play a doubleheader to wrap up the weekend series beginning at Noon on Saturday.
"We started off well and manufactured some runs," Georgia Southern Head Softball Coach
Kim Dean said. "We were throwing a really good game going into the seventh, but it's tough playing on the road when the home team gets momentum. I've got to prepare us better, though, and make sure that we're learning from these situations. We've got two more tomorrow and we'll try to be better."
The Eagles opened the scoring in the top of the first inning as
Mekhia Freeman had a one-out single, then
Faith Shirley's RBI double made it 1-0 for Georgia Southern.
The score remained 1-0 into the sixth inning, when Georgia Southern increased its lead to 3-0 thanks to RBI singles from
Janai Conklin and
Olivia Creamer. The Eagles then made it a 4-0 lead in the top of the seventh on a
Bailee Wilson double.
North Florida tied the contest in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-clearing double by Kayla McGory and an RBI double by Shannon Glover. With the potential winning run on third and just one out, Georgia Southern reliever
Harlee Rewis got a liner to short that turned into an inning-ending double play and sent the game into extras.
The Eagles' best chance to score in extra innings came in the top of the ninth as
Faith Shirley picked up a two-out single, then Wilson's third double of the game put runners at second and third. North Florida reliever Halle Arends got the final out to keep it tied headed to the bottom of the ninth.
McGory came up with the game-winning hit with a double to left center, scoring the winning run with one out.
Arends (2-1) hurled two innings of two-hit shutout relief, striking out three to pick up the win for UNF. Rewis (0-1) took the loss, giving up one run and three hits in two innings of work, striking out two.
Shirley went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles for her second career four-hit contest. Wilson's three doubles and three hits were both career highs, and she is the first Georgia Southern player to collect three doubles in one game since Stacie Cooper had three doubles vs. UNC Wilmington on April 14, 2001.
McGory's 2-for-5 day with two doubles and four RBI led North Florida on the day.
