JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State softball team split Saturday's doubleheader action against North Florida in the opening two games of the weekend's three-game set.
 
The Gamecocks now sit at 18-13 for the season, and 2-3 in ASUN Conference play after taking a game off the Ospreys, who now own a 26-8 overall mark and 5-3 league record.
 
Freshman Kat Carter spun a gem from the circle in game one of the afternoon, going the distance with just five hits allowed through seven innings. After opening the game with a strikeout, UNF pieced together consecutive hits to threaten early, but the lead runner turned too wide around third base following a base hit to center that Keeli Bobbitt returned to the infield instantly. Carter intercepted the throw home and tossed behind the runner at third to start a rundown that resulted in the second out. Carter registered her second strikeout to finish the first and then sat down 10-straight Osprey hitters stretching all the way to the fifth frame.
 
With Carter dealing in the early, JSU put up its only runs of the first game in the second inning beginning with a leadoff walk from Karsen Mosley in the second inning. Camryn McLemore attempted to move Mosley to second with a sacrifice bunt, but an errant throw from the pitcher saw everyone advance safely. Brantly Bonds later dropped a sac bunt to score Mosley, and another fielder's choice off the bat of Bobbitt allowed McLemore to cross the plate.
 
Things moved along into the fifth when UNF's Abi Annett homered to open the inning and cut the deficit in half, but Carter to retire the side following the long ball. The Ospreys reached base in the sixth and seventh, but a 2-6 caught stealing from Abbi Perkins in the seventh helped shut the door on any comeback as JSU closed the opening contest with a 2-1 victory. Carter improved to 10-7 with the win, outdueling UNF's Hallie Arends who fell to 12-2 from the circle this season.
 
In the second game, JSU struggled to find any offensive rhythm as UNF's Morgan Clausen twirled a 15-strikeout shutout to split the first day of games. The Osprey's jumped ahead with two runs in the top of the first off freshman Sarah Currie, and added another pair in the third. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native, settled down to retire 11 of the next 12 batters she faced into the final frame, but the Gamecocks couldn't get anything started from to plate to fight out of the early 4-0 hole that eventually held as the final result.
 
The same two squads square off on Sunday afternoon from University Field at 1 p.m. for the final matchup pf the three-game series.