JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville softball (4-4) ended the final game of the Osprey/Dolphin Invite in thrilling fashion, beating College of Charleston with a 2-run walk-off homer by sophomore Hannah Roberts. The home run was Jacksonville's 11th hit of the day as their offense came through during the back-and-forth contest.
The game was scoreless through the first 1.5 innings with Alyssa Bilodeau doing work in the circle for JU. The Dolphins struck first in the bottom of the second when Carolyn O'Neal hit a double to center that scored one run. It was just the beginning of a big day for O'Neal, who went 3-for-3 with a pair of extra-base hits.
O'Neal got the fourth inning started as well, singling to left before being batted in by Nydia Perez to put JU up 2-0 over the Cougars. However, the Cougars turned right around and tied things up with a 2-run homer in the top of the fifth. It was the first hit Bilodeau had allowed all game.
JU quickly recaptured the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Kassidy Cross scored on an Abby Genest single.
Bilodeau was replaced by Seana Mora in the sixth inning as the Cougars scored a pair of runs on three hits, giving them a 4-3 lead with just 1.5 innings to play. JU loaded the bases in the sixth on three hits and forced a College of Charleston pitching change, but still couldn't find the game-tying run.
The game came down to the bottom of the seventh and Jacksonville needing one run to force extra innings. Makenzie Buss, who led off the inning, reached after being hit by a pitch. The next batter was Roberts. With a 3-1 count, Roberts hit a walk-off 2-run blast to left field to give the Dolphins their fourth win of the season. It was the sophomore's second homer of the young season.
O'Neal ended the day 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Roberts was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Cross also had two hits and scored a run.
"I'm proud of the team effort we had. This game is about pitching and timely hits. I think our pitching staff gave us a chance to win and we had runners on all day long. I'm happy for Hannah that she finally got one there at the end to put us over the top," said head coach Erica Ayers.
Jacksonville has two days off before returning to action at home against No. 4 Florida on Wednesday. It will be the 18th all-time meeting between the two programs. That game is scheduled for 5 PM on Wednesday, Feb. 20.
