SPORTS
- Inside the Huddle
- Ospreys take game with mercy rule Holli Welch
- Team looking to claim A-Sun Conference title
- Ospreys sing sad song in the rain Ryan Clarke
- Seniors say goodbye with loss to A-Sun conference foe Holli Welch
Inside the Huddle
 Ross Brooks Assistant Features Editor |
 Ryan Clarke Freshman, Communications |
 Scott Dye Junior, Communications |
 Maple the Goose Goose |
| Question 1: Which baseball player today deserves a national remembrance day in the future? | |||
| Rollie Fingers. Today's youth have no idea who he is, but he has a handlebar moustache the world needs to remember, plus he was one of the last spitball throwers. | Barry Bonds: National "Here's What Happens if you Cheat" Day. | Greg Maddux. He's the greatest living pitcher on the planet. | Honk [who cares about American baseball, I'm from Canada.] |
| Question 2: Is Kobe Bryant the next "Air Jordan" in the NBA? | |||
| He's got the adultery down pat, now all he needs is to star in a Looney Tunes movie about basketball playing alien enslavers. | Kobe scores points. Jordan scored points and won titles. Lots of them. | Kobe is not the next "Air Jordan," he's the first Kobe Bryant. | Honk [I am the one that can fly.] |
| Question 3: Can the freshmen who recently signed with the UNF men's basketball team turn things around next season? | |||
| Certainly. There's always plenty of room for a turn around after a 3-26 2006-2007 season. | They will give the Ospreys a solid frontcourt rotation. I am not sure it will help against the big boys, but they'll do fine in conference play. | Don't know, but things can only go up from here, right? | Honk [hopeful sigh.] |
| Question 4: Which athlete - in any sport - has the most creative victory dance? | |||
| Tony Siragusa. Nothing's funnier than a 350-pound man flapping his arms like a goose. | I was always a big fan of the Atlanta Falcons "Dirty Bird." | The Tiger Woods fist pump is a classic. | Honk, honk [I like an athlete who can do the funky chicken.] |
Ospreys take game with mercy rule
Sophomore leads team with tie for 27th after falling from top 10
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Senior catcher Kelli Rutenbar swings hard against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs, as the Ospreys lose 4-3 and 6-3. |
The University of North Florida softball team (29-19, 6-6 Atlantic Sun Conference) hit five home runs in conference play April 13-14, winning 3-1 and 13-5 over East Tennessee State University and losing 4-3 and 6-3 to Gardner-Webb University.
Hitting her sixth home run of the season, senior second baseman Gwen Williams led the Ospreys against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs. Williams, who went 4-for-6 in the doubleheader, scored three runs and hit five RBIs against Gardner-Webb, including a pair of home runs.
Williams hit her first home run in the seventh inning of the opener, bringing in senior catcher Kelli Rutenbar and advancing the Ospreys within one run of a tie. A pop-fly, however, brought the third out and the final 4-3 loss.
Williams started the scoring for the Ospreys in the second game with her three-run home run to center.
Junior first baseman Heather Hyde continued the home runs against East Tennessee, recording her fifth of the season after hitting two against the
Bucs in the second game. Hyde opened the game with a home
run and ended the game in the same fashion.
With a 13-5 lead, the Ospreys ended with the mercy rule.
"We closed the weekend on a positive note [against East Tennessee]," head coach Sonya Wilmoth said. "We swung the bats well [...] and got some good work from Devyn Findley."
Findley, a freshman pitcher,
led the Ospreys on the mound and from the plate. The freshman went 2-for-4, hitting the final Osprey home run against the Bucs in the second game.
On the mound, Findley (14-3) earned the win in the opener, striking out 12 Bucs during the two games. Her performance landed Findley a spot on UNF's single season top-10 list for strikeouts, with 125 for the year.
Senior pitcher Katie Brosky (8-10) recorded her second save of the season for the Ospreys against ETSU, striking out Bucs' Dez Franklin in the seventh inning and ending the bases-loaded rally.
Against the Bulldogs, however, Brosky pitched a three-run home run to Gardner-Webb's Emily Sherrill in the fifth inning of the second game. The Bulldogs added two more runs against senior pitcher Tori Ahern, who came
in after Brosky. Gardner-Webb scored all six of its runs in the inning, sending 12 batters to
the plate.
The loss to Gardner-Webb marked the first time in the last 15 doubleheaders that the Ospreys lost both games.
North Florida will head back on the field in Georgia to face Mercer University April 20.
Contact Holli Welch at sports@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Team looking to claim A-Sun Conference title
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Sophomore Jeff Dennis chips for par to lead the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. Dennis is in second place going into the final round. As of April 17, the Ospreys are in second place of the championship with a team score of 595. |
Ospreys sing sad song in the rain
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Top: Sophomore outfielder Brian Wilson scores the first Osprey run against Kennesaw State University, hitting a single in the second inning. Bottom: Senior pitcher Derek Bell strikes out 11 of 13 batters. |
The University of North Florida baseball team (15-24, 6-9 Atlantic Sun Conference) lost its first conference series April 14-15, as Kennesaw State University swept the series 4-2, 5-1
and 8-1.
Senior pitcher Brad Johnson worked 6 2/3 innings of game one before being supplanted by junior pitcher Travis Martin. Between them, the duo gave up four runs on seven hits, while walking three and striking
out five.
Sophomore pitcher Tyler Stohr closed out the game with
a one-hit, one-strikeout and no-run finish.
At the plate, the Ospreys scored two runs, while stranding nine hitters on bases during a wet and windy Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore outfielder Brian Wilson led the Ospreys, going 3-for-4 and driving in one of the two UNF runs.
The Ospreys held the lead twice during the game.
The first time came in the second inning after Wilson hit a single and drove in freshman infielder T.J. Thompson from third. The second came at the top of the fifth inning, when senior pitcher Jon Dandridge hit a sacrifice fly ball deep into left field and allowed freshman infielder Mycal Jones to score from third.
But a win did not follow.
The Owls tied the game at the bottom of the inning, then took the lead for good in the bottom of
the seventh.
"It's the same story the whole year: We just can't bring anyone out of the bullpen," head coach Dusty Rhodes said. "We had opportunities and just didn't cash in."
A rain delay cut the second game short, postponing play until Sunday afternoon. Before the rain, senior pitcher
Derek Bell retired 11 of his
first 13 batters.
The first of the Owls' five runs came in the sixth inning, just before the game was postponed.
Sophomore pitcher Antonio Franzese started from the mound Sunday afternoon and pitched
1 1/3 innings, giving up a run and a walk. Freshman pitcher Jonathan Turner finished
the game, allowing two runs on three hits.
"We've got four or five guys who can get it done," Rhodes said. "Even the coaches on the other teams are talking about our freshmen."
Thompson drove in senior catcher James Belyea with a single to center, scoring the only UNF run.
Freshman pitcher John Atteo snapped his two-game winning streak in the final game of
the series.
The Ospreys left seven men on base, and committed two errors - the most in the past six games.
Senior first baseman Jimmy Glanville scored the lone Osprey run when Thompson hit a single to the center.
"It's time to start stepping it up," Rhodes said. "They have to go out and compete. We won't ever throw in the towel."
The Ospreys, now 11
games under .500, face Mercer University April 21 at Harmon Stadium.
Contact Ryan Clarke at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Seniors say goodbye with loss to A-Sun conference foe
Doubles duo records perfect 15-0 record to finish season
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Top: Senior Florencia Torres intently swings and wins the No. 3 singles game in her final match at the University of North Florida against the University of South Alabama. Bottom: Senior Matias Sigal focuses on his 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 win against the University of Central Florida. |
Five seniors played their final matches April 14-15, as the University of North Florida men's tennis team lost 6-1 (12-1, 7-8 Atlantic Sun Conference) and the women's team (14-7, 7-2) lost 5-1 to
the nationally-ranked University of South Alabama.
Florencia Torres, Catalina Castillo, Glen Marshall, Leonardo Gomes and Matias Sigal finished their collegiate careers at South Alabama.
"All of my seniors did a great job this season," head coach Igal Buberman said. "Both Matias and Florencia were my captains and their leadership definitely was an asset to the teams."
Torres, along side sophomore Ina Durcakova, won the only doubles match with an 8-6 win in the No. 2 position. The duo ended the season with a perfect 15-0 doubles record and ranked 59th in the latest FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings.
Though South Alabama won the doubles point, Torres continued to fight at the No. 3 singles position, winning the lone Osprey point against Jaguars' Sylvanie Spangenburg, 2-6, 6-4, 1-0.
"Torres' performance against South Alabama was not a surprise," Buberman said. "She played an unbelievable season in both singles and doubles. She played with a lot of effort and a lot of heart."
Castillo lost 1-6, 6-3, 1-0 to Adrianna Solarova at the No. 1 singles spot, while Marshall lost 6-1,6-1 to Craig Dunne at the No. 4 men's singles spot.
Sigal was unable to play in his final career match.
Gomes and sophomore Javier Ferrin led the Ospreys, winning the No. 1 doubles game 8-1 against Marek Sramek and Robert Hodel.
The men's team played against the University of Central Florida April 11,
to begin the end stretch of the season. The game was the final home game for
the Ospreys.
The Ospreys won 5-2 over the Knights, with Sigal leading at the No. 1 singles spot with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 win.
"I think it was a good season over all," Buberman said. "We were not able to get ranked but we ended up beating a couple of ranked teams."
Contact Holli Welch at sports@unfspinnaker.com -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
Team loses to highly-ranked foe
The University of North Florida softball team went into unfamiliar territory Feb. 21 in
a doubleheader against the University of Florida.
The Ospreys lost 6-0 during their first-ever game against Florida, due to what head coach Sonya Wilmoth believes was the inability to drive in runs. Despite the slow start, the Ospreys
handled the second game with more control, allowing one run - which brought the second
score to 1-0.
Throughout the games, junior shortstop Ashley Parenteau hit well and freshman Kara Rutenbar had multiple hits to lead the team, Wilmoth said.
"We were nervous going up against Florida, but we hung in right there with them," said freshman pitcher Devyn Findley.
Senior pitcher Katie Brosky said it's still early in the season, but the team played great defense. That is something the team takes away from the experience with Florida, especially because playing at that level is a victory in and of itself, Wilmoth said.
The Ospreys will head back into tournament play at
the Arizona State Tournament.
The games the Ospreys have played so far have prepared the
them for this tournament,
Wilmoth said.
"It's an incredible experience to go play a ranked team," Brosky said.
The Ospreys face No. 2 Arizona State University the second day of the tournament, which begins March 2.
Contact Brittinee Phillips at uspinnak@unf.edu -- PERMALINK -- TOP OF PAGE
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