Skip To Main Content

6
North Florida UNF 35-19
7
Winner FGCU FGCU 37-19
North Florida UNF
35-19
6
Final
7
FGCU FGCU
37-19
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
North Florida UNF 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 9 1
FGCU FGCU 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 5 5

W: Sparkman, Allison (12-4) L: BENNING, Allison (19-11)

Softball ASUN celebration

Game Recap: Softball | | by Ryan Field

Softball wins 2024 ASUN Championship on walk off

OXFORD, Ala. - Florida Gulf Coast University's softball team won the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship 7-6 Saturday on a Neely Peterson walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth.

"It was amazing rounding third," Peterson said. "I couldn't breathe because I was screaming so much. Seeing everyone's faces was the best thing ever. I love my team."

Peterson led off the eighth inning. She was facing Allison Benning, who hadn't allowed a hit in 6.1 innings before Peterson put a jolt in the ball clearing the left field fence and securing the first ASUN softball championship for the Green and Blue since 2012.

Peterson worked the count full, forcing Benning to give her a good pitch. "I wanted to get a base hit to lead off the inning. I knew I was waiting for my pitch. The pitch was there and I just took a hack," Peterson said.

The game started with the bats going crazy for both teams. FGCU put up a five-run first inning off a Nikki Gibson RBI single, a Tiffany Meek RBI double, a McKenzie Wittenberg RBI single, and Sophie Wylie scoring on a wild pitch. Avery Viancos would score on another wild pitch an inning later and that would be all the Eagles scoring until Peterson's walk off home run.

Allison Sparkman entered the circle in relief and pitched 4.2 innings, only allowing three base runners and striking out eight.

Five Eagles were named to the All-ASUN Tournament team. Peterson was named Tournament MVP. She was joined by teammates Allison Sparkman, Angelina Bonilla, Tiffany Meek, and Riley Oakes on the All-Tournament team.

Sparkman was incredible all tournament. The ASUN All-Freshman team member pitched 12.2 innings across three games, only allowing one earned run and five hits. Bonilla won the first game of the tournament, going six innings in the opening game, not allowing an earned run. Meek made spectacular defensive play after spectacular defensive play that saved games for the Eagles. Oakes recorded multi-hit games in three of the four games, scored four runs, and drive in three.
Print Friendly Version

Scoring Summary

Score By Innings
Play UNF FGCU
UNF TOP 1st FEDERICO, M. homered to left field, RBI (0-1). 1 0
UNF TOP 1st GLOVER, S. reached on a fielder's choice, RBI (0-1); BENNING, A. out at second ss to 2b; REICHERT, H. scored. 2 0
UNF TOP 1st JACKSON, L. doubled to center field, RBI (0-2); GLOVER, S. scored. 3 0
FGCU BOT 1st N Gibson singled to center field, RBI (1-2); N Peterson advanced to third; R Oakes scored. 3 1
FGCU BOT 1st T Meek doubled down the lf line, 2 RBI (2-1); N Gibson scored; N Peterson scored. 3 3
FGCU BOT 1st M Wittenberg singled to right field, RBI (1-2); S Wylie advanced to third; T Meek scored. 3 4
FGCU BOT 1st M Wittenberg advanced to second; S Wylie scored on a wild pitch. 3 5
UNF TOP 2nd BENNING, A. advanced to second; FEDERICO, M. advanced to third; ANNETT, A. scored on a wild pitch. 4 5
UNF TOP 2nd GLOVER, S. reached on a fielding error by 2b, RBI (3-1); BENNING, A. advanced to third, scored on the error, unearned; FEDERICO, M. scored. 6 5
FGCU BOT 2nd A Viancos scored on a wild pitch, unearned. 6 6
FGCU BOT 8th N Peterson homered to left field, RBI (3-2). 6 7

Related Headlines