The University of North Florida softball team won their ASUN opener 8-5 against Eastern Kentucky, with Addyson Bruneman hitting her first career home run. Pitcher Taylor Cook played a key role in the victory, striking out five batters in relief.
Key points
UNF softball team won 8-5 against Eastern Kentucky
Addyson Bruneman hit her first career home run
Taylor Cook pitched 4.1 innings with five strikeouts
Game took place at the UNF Softball Complex
UNF is the defending ASUN champion
University of North FloridaEastern KentuckyASUN Tournament 2025Addyson Bruneman
University of North Florida softball coach Jeff Conrad is resigned to pitching by committee this week in the ASUN Tournament.
Two-thirds of the staff he put in the circle on May 5 did just fine as the seventh-seeded Ospreys opened the defense of their 2025 ASUN title with an 8-5 victory over No. 6 Eastern Kentucky, at the UNF Softball Complex.
Taylor Cook relieved starter Macie Hunolt in the first inning after EKU scored four runs to take a 4-2 lead. Cook retired 10 batters in a row and threw 4.1 innings of three-hit ball, with five strikeouts. All-ASUN second-team member Cameron Ponich, UNF's No. 1 starter, threw two hitless innings in relief.
University of North Florida junior Addyson Bruneman connects for her first college home run in the fourth inning of the Ospreys' 8-5 ASUN Tournament victory over Eastern Kentucky on May 5, at the UNF Softball Complex.
University of North Florida junior Addyson Bruneman connects for her first college home run in the fourth inning of the Ospreys' 8-5 ASUN Tournament victory over Eastern Kentucky on May 5, at the UNF Softball Complex.
UNF (37-20) will play third-seeded North Alabama (35-14) at 5 p.m. on May 6. No. 4 Jacksonville (33-18) faces No. 5 Florida Gulf Coast (21-31), which eliminated No. 8 Austin Peay (30-24) with a 2-1 victory.
Ospreys now in the double-elimination bracket
What’s important for the Ospreys is that they won a single-elimination game and are now in the double-elimination bracket.
“Now that we’ve survived, we know what it’s like to be backed in the corner and have to win a game to advance,” Conrad said. “I think with our group, we can kind of take a deep breath, exhale and move into the next part of the tournament.”
UNF was the No. 1 seed last year and earned a double bye. Ironically, they beat EKU twice in last year's tournament, including the championship game.
Q&A
What was the score of the UNF softball game against Eastern Kentucky?
The University of North Florida won the game 8-5 against Eastern Kentucky.
Who hit their first career home run in the ASUN opener for UNF?
Addyson Bruneman hit her first career home run during the ASUN opener for UNF.
How did Taylor Cook perform in the game against EKU?
Taylor Cook relieved the starter and threw 4.1 innings, allowing three hits and striking out five batters.
When did UNF play their ASUN opener against Eastern Kentucky?
UNF played their ASUN opener against Eastern Kentucky on May 5.
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Conrad took a chance in not starting Cameron Ponich
Conran admitted it was a gamble not to start Ponich, who is 15-4 with a .73 ERA.
"It's easy to second-guess after that first inning but with the amount of lefties in their lineup, we felt good about the Macie matchup [Hunolt is left-handed] and potentially having Cam in reserve tomorrow."
Sophomore pitcher Taylor Cook of the University of North Florida delivers to an Eastern Kentucky batter during their ASUN Tournament game on May 5, at the UNF Softball Complex. UNF won 8-5.
Sophomore pitcher Taylor Cook of the University of North Florida delivers to an Eastern Kentucky batter during their ASUN Tournament game on May 5, at the UNF Softball Complex. UNF won 8-5.
It’s life without the dominance of last year’s ASUN player and pitcher of the year Allison Benning.
“Without Allison, we’ve really struggled to find that Bonafide shutdown pitcher in the circle this year,” he said. “So it’s been kind of by committee and tonight was reflective of what the week’s going to look like for us. I think we’ve got the arms to handle it that way.”
The Colonels had five hits in the first against Hunolt, the last one a two-run single by Jordan Smith that brought on Cook. She got out of the inning with a strikeout and went on to retire 13 of 17 batters.
"Shutting them down and getting some big outs kept us going and kept the energy going," Cook said. "I want to carry the same momentum over. It's the ASUN Tournament, but this is our field."
While Cook (8-5) was holding the Colonels scoreless for four innings after a four-run first, UNF rallied with two unearned runs in the third, highlighted by Grace Shaw’s RBI single. Addyson Bruneman’s home run just inside the left-field foul pole in the fourth for her first college home run, put UNF ahead for good.
"It's on level 10," Bruneman said when asked about the moment. "I couldn't be more happy to get that big hit in that moment. Really shifted the momentum for us. I felt great."
Ospreys seal game with a bizarre three-run sixth
UNF got its last three runs in a wild sixth inning.
Hannah Davila singled down the left-field line and Bruneman walked after she faced an 0-2 count when fouling off two bunt attempts.
Reese Green pinch-hit and delivered a sacrifice bunt to move Davila and Bruneman to second and third. After Marley Nagy was sent in to pinch-run for Bruneman, EKU starter Victoria Byrun (10-13) struck out Hallie Langford but then uncorked a wild pitch to score Davila and move Nagy to third.
Addie Keef walked, and after Byrun was replaced by Tayteum Vigansky, UNF pulled a double steal, with Nagy scoring when catcher Skyler Bilips tried to throw Keef out at second. She was safe and second baseman Kennedy Drafton then tried to get Nagy out of the plate. Bilips was unable to haul in a wide throw and Keef scored.
EKU scored in the bottom of the sixth but Ponich minimized the damage. Makayla Mathis singled and Jordan Smith walked, prompting Conrad to bring in Ponich. Jocelyn Owen sacrificed the runners over and Drafton hit a sacrifice fly to left.
But Ponich got the side out with a grounder to shortstop Bella Cimino, who went deep in the hole to throw Jaelin Haynes out. Ponich then pitched a perfect seventh, with two strikeouts, for her third save of the season.
The Ospreys got their first two runs in the first on an RBI single by Ayden Allen and a run-scoring grounder to second by Shaw.
