Game 1: Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
Game 2: Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Kennesaw State softball team used some late-game magic to pull away and defeat North Florida by duplicate 3-1 results Saturday afternoon, clinching a perfect day and the series victory over the Ospreys.
 
How it happened: After two scoreless innings and four strikeouts from Hailey Andrews, the Owls (22-18, 7-4) struck first in the top of the third with Brea Dickey recording a lead-off walk. Dickey would eventually be pushed to third base following a sacrifice bunt and a single from Hannah Thomason. Christen Florence brought Dickey home on the next at-bat with an RBI groundout.
 
UNF (20-14, 3-5) got it back on level terms the following inning with the Ospreys' Navia Penrod hitting an infield single and stealing second. Penrod came around to score off a single from Veronika Klimpova to tie it up 1-1.
 
The Owls worked their way back in front in the top of the sixth as Kira Czyrklis drew her second of three walks in the game. Olivia Gocke came in to pinch run for Czyrklis and it was a wise decision as she used her wheels to come around and score on the very next at-bat thanks to a double down the right field line from Katie Greep. Another double, this time from Jade Lee, scored Greep from second to give KSU a 3-1 lead at the end of the inning.
 
UNF threatened to tie it up in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second and one out, but the Owl defense held to close out the inning and the game. Lee finished game one of the doubleheader 2-for-3 with an RBI double while Andrews recorded her 17th complete game of the season, logging nine strikeouts.
 
Maddie Roth got the Owls started with a bang in game two, blasting a solo shot over the centerfield wall to put KSU on top 1-0 in the top of the first. The Ospreys would answer in the bottom of the inning after UNF's Makenzie Griffin slapped a single up the middle, only to be brought around to score by a double from Penrod on the following at-bat.
 
The Owls and Ospreys remained deadlocked at 1-1 until the fifth inning when Lexi Solorzano ripped a single through the left side. After Gocke came in to pinch run, back-to-back singles from Dickey and Jessie Mullen, combined with a throwing error, brought Gocke in to score and give KSU a 2-1 lead. 
 
Dickey gave the Owls some insurance in the top of the seventh with a triple to deep center field to score Lee from first. A double-play and another strikeout from Andrews, making her second start of the day, secured the win and the series.
 
Notes: Jade Lee finished the day with a team-high three hits, going 3-for-6 … Hailey Andrews recorded both wins on the mound, finishing the day with 15 strikeouts over 14 innings of work … Andrews has now recorded at least nine strikeouts in three of the last four games … Brea Dickey recorded her second career triple at KSU, finishing game two 2-for-3 at the plate, 2-for-5 overall for the day … Christen Florence recorded only one hit on the day, snapping an 11-game hitting streak … Kira Czyrklis drew a career-high three walks in game one, finishing the day with four total for a team-high .714 on-base percentage … Hannah Thomason, Brea Dickey and Katie Greep all recorded one steal, the second career swiped bag for Greep … Lee recorded her 10th double of the season, the third Owl this year with 10 or more doubles.
 
Up next: KSU looks for the series sweep over North Florida tomorrow afternoon with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.