Friday, March 24, 2006

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 24, 2006) - The ETSU softball team captured its first Atlantic Sun win of the season on Friday, downing North Florida, 4-0, in the series opener at the UNF Softball Complex.  The Ospreys got the last word, however, upending ETSU, 1-0, in the nightcap.  ETSU stands at 8-21, 1-2 in the A-Sun following the split, while UNF stands at 15-15, 1-1 in league play.

ETSU pounced on the Osprey pitching in the late innings of game one, starting with an RBI triple from Briana Knight (Brier, Wash.) in the fifth.  Knight would give the Lady Bucs the 2-0 advantage, scoring on a sacrifice fly from Jessie Hackworth (Clinton, Tenn.).

Stephanie Cope (Maryville, Tenn.) got things going in the sixth, slamming a two-out triple to center.  Caitlin Zyskowski (Grand Rapids, Mich.) followed with an RBI single to left, knocking in Cope for the 3-0 lead.

The Lady Bucs tacked on their final run of the seventh, as Stephanie Gaynord (Manassas, Va.) came around to score on a groundout by Hackworth.  Hackworth led the team with a pair of RBIs in game one.  ETSU managed six hits in the opener, led by Cope, who went 2-for-3.    

Courtney Jenkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) pitched a solid game to improve to 2-8 on the season, while Osprey hurler Tori Ahern took the loss, falling to 4-7.  Jenkins allowed just four hits in seven innings in the circle to earn her first shutout of the season. 

Brittany Lehrschall (Leland, N.C.) took a one-hit shutout through four innings in game two, before UNF rallied with three hits in the fifth, scoring the game's only run.  Caitlin Miller posted the first hit of the inning, roping a double to right center.  Miller would score the game winner on a double by Randalyn Rogers.

ETSU totaled five hits in the nightcap, getting a pair from Gaynord, who blasted her team-leading sixth double of the season.  Zyskowski also added two base knocks, going 2-for-3 on the game.

Lehrschall dropped to 3-5 in the loss, while UNF's Kelli Pitts threw all seven innings to up her record to 6-3. 

ETSU will spend the weekend in the Sunshine State, taking on Jacksonville on Sunday, March 26.  The first of two games is scheduled to start at 12 p.m.