FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast softball (13-21, 7-2 ASUN) dropped the series finale, 8-5, to North Florida (27-13, 2-7) on Sunday afternoon.

UNF got out to an early lead, and added three runs late to avoid the series sweep. Kate Peters (7-2) spun six innings and only allowed one run for the Ospreys. Grace Shaw, Hannah Davila and Bella Cimino each had multi-RBI days for UNF.

The Eagles got traffic on the basepaths throughout the game thanks to seven hits, three walks and two HBP, but left nine runners stranded to UNF's two on Sunday. Parris Wiggs accounted for three of the Eagles' hits with a 3-for-4 day with two runs scored.

After the FGCU pitching staff stymied North Florida on Saturday, the Ospreys came out swinging on Sunday, scoring five runs between the first two innings to jump out to an early 5-0 lead. Davila and Ayden Allen hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the second inning to power the offensive outburst.

FGCU scratched one run back in the bottom half of the second when Nikki Gibson doubled in Wiggs. The Eagles had chances to add to the total in the third and fourth, but left the bases loaded in the third and two runners on in the fourth. 

The Eagles' offense broke through in the fifth. Mackenzie Leiti led off by reaching on an error, and Kiki Daniels drew a four pitch walk. Wiggs singled to load the bases, and Julia Bacoulis was hit by a pitch to bring in J'Lyn Guyden (pinch running for Leiti) for the first run of the inning. Gibson then added her second RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to right to score Daniels. A wild pitch got over the head of UNF's catcher, allowing Wiggs to score and Bacoulis to advance to third. K'Mari Williams laced a double over the outstretched glove of the left fielder to easily score Bacoulis and tie the game. 

North Florida answered, though, adding two on a sixth-inning RBI double from Shaw to take a 7-5 lead. Cimino added an insurance run for the Ospreys with a solo shot in the seventh to reach the final score of 8-5.

Next, FGCU starts a two week road trip, its longest of 2026, with a series at Jacksonville, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 3. 

2026 softball mini plans and single game tickets are on sale at https://fgcuathletics.evenue.net/list/SB. 

For more information on FGCU Softball, follow @FGCUSoftball on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit fgcuathletics.com.

Postgame Notes
– Drijvers improved her on-base streak to 13 consecutive games with a walk
– Wiggs went 3-for-4 and scored two runs 
– Gibson and Williams each hit RBI doubles
– The Eagles recorded a season-high two HBP
– FGCU leads the all-time series with UNF 33-24
– The Eagles hold a 22-15 record over the Ospreys in Fort Myers
  Read Full Article