JACKSONVILLE - North Florida notched a pair of one-run wins over Georgia Southern softball on Saturday to sweep a three-game non-conference series from the Eagles in Jacksonville. UNF won game one, 6-5, and took game two, 3-2.

The Ospreys improved to 4-5 on the season with the wins, while Georgia Southern fell to 1-7. Five of the Eagles' seven losses so far in 2021 have been by just one run, including all three games this weekend.

"I just think this game is so tough, you have to constantly have a mindset that you're going to push through it," Georgia Southern Head Coach Kim Dean said. "You can't tense up as the game gets later on. We're seeing young kids learn how to fight through frustrations. We're still trying to find a lineup that can be cohesive and even though the outcomes this weekend look identical, we had different young kids stepping up, and stepping into different roles. We will continue to prepare and this weekend we will finally be at home. But we're going to make sure these losses fuel us and don't define us."

GAME ONE: North Florida 6, Georgia Southern 5

The Ospreys used a four-run fourth inning to build a 6-1 lead, then withstood a late Eagle charge to take the 6-5 win in game one.

North Florida led, 2-1, heading into the third inning when the Ospreys struck for four runs. Brittany Sundermeier and Shannon Glover had RBI singles and Kayla McGory delivered an RBI double.

The Eagles began their comeback in the fifth inning as Madi Banks tripled, then Ashlynn Gunter singled her home to make the score 6-2. Shelby Wilson followed with a two-RBI single to cut the lead to 6-4.

Ashlynn Gunter singled to start off the seventh, then one batter later, Faith Shirley singled to put the tying runs on base. Bailee Wilson doubled to right center, scoring Gunter, but Shirley was out at the plate trying to score the game-tying run. 

Morgan Clausen (1-2) picked up the win for North Florida, giving up seven hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings of work, walking one while striking out three. Halle Arends notched her first save of the year with 2 2/3 innings of four-hit, one-run ball, striking out three. Rylee Waldrep (0-2) took the loss for the Eagles, giving up five hits and four runs - two earned - in 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out one.

Gunter went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Eagles offensively in game one, while Wilson went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Ashley Goebel had two hits and two runs scored for UNF.

GAME TWO: North Florida 3, Georgia Southern 2

Taylor Engman's bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field plated the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to give North Florida its second walk-off win of the weekend.

The Ospreys trailed, 2-0, after the first inning as Georgia Southern pushed across two unearned runs to lead off the game. Faith Shirley and Bailee Wilson each scored runs off of Osprey errors after Shirley doubled and Wilson walked to get on base.

North Florida tied the game in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Rachel Koskey and a sacrifice fly by Brittany Sundermeier.

In the top of the sixth inning, Madi Banks singled with one out, then advanced to third on Dejah Mills' pinch-hit double to right center. Olivia Creamer hit a sinking shot to right that UNF right fielder Logan Jackson made a sliding grab on to end the threat.

The Ospreys won in the bottom of the seventh as a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Engman then hit a shallow fly to center field, which was caught by Mekhia Freeman. Freeman's throw to the plate was late to get the runner.

Halle Arends (3-1) hurled the complete-game seven-hitter, giving up two unearned runs and two walks while striking out three. Aaliyah Garcia (1-2) took the loss in relief for the Eagles, giving up two hits and one run in 2 1/3 innings of work, walking three.