DeLand, Fla. - Freshman pitcher Courtney Brandt (Dade City, Fla.) tossed a one-hit shutout in the nightcap of the doubleheader to lead the Stetson softball team (16-11, 1-1 Atlantic Sun) to a 7-0 win over visiting North Florida (19-13, 1-1 A-Sun) Monday evening at Patricia Wilson Field. The Ospreys used a fifth inning solo home run to claim a 1-0 win over Stetson in Game 1.
NORTH FLORIDA 1, STETSON 0 (GAME 1)
Stetson sophomore Meredith Owen (Jackson, Miss.) and UNF freshman Kaylie Wallace engaged in a terrific pitcher's duel throughout Game 1. The Hatters had a chance to go ahead in the bottom of the third when junior catcher Jordan Cleghorn (Ball Ground, Ga.) and sophomore center fielder Chrissy Morello (Ormond Beach, Fla.) delivered two-out base hits - Cleghorn's a double - but Wallace got a strikeout to finish the inning.
North Florida first baseman Marissa Thomas delivered the game's only run, leading off the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run to left field. Wallace recorded eight strikeouts and allowed only those two third inning base hits for the win while Owen struck out six in a complete game effort. Ospreys second baseman Chie Somaya had two base hits.
STETSON 7, NORTH FLORIDA 0 (GAME 2)
The Hatters scored four runs in the second game's first three innings on repeated defensive miscues by the Ospreys; UNF would commit six errors in the ballgame as the Hatters did not record an RBI on any of those first four scores. Three consecutive UNF errors with two outs in the bottom of the third allowed two Stetson runs to come home.
Freshman third baseman Demi Meza (Oxnard, Calif.) put an exclamation point on the evening with a three-run home run to dead center field in the bottom of the sixth, her first career homer.
That support was more than enough for Brandt, who came just a Jackie Reese fifth inning single to left field away from a no-hitter. She struck out five and walked three for the one-hit shutout. Senior first baseman Carolyn Boyd (Germantown, Tenn.) had two hits for Stetson in Game 2.
Stetson concludes a 14-game homestand at 1:00 pm Saturday when it hosts A-Sun rival FGCU in a doubleheader. Live Stats and Hatter Vision will be available at GoHatters.com.
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