FLORENCE, Ala. – The University of West Florida softball team's record stands at 19-7 on the year with a 7-5 mark in the Gulf South Conference after falling to North Alabama 14-5 on Sunday.
 
Junior third baseman Jacey Castro led West Florida offensively, as she drove in two runs with a single in the first inning to take an early lead over UNA. Castro recorded her third RBI of the day with a single to left in the third inning, which cut UNA's lead at the time to 5-3.
 
Jessica Wilkinson kicked off the two-run fourth after being hit by a pitch, and Rachel Wright moved her up with a single through the left side. Both runners advanced a base on a passed ball just one batter later, and Meghan Toney and Rhiannon Sassman each brought a runner in. Those would be the final runs of the day for UWF, which scored five or more for the 16th time this year.
 
Defense troubled the Argonauts in the first inning, as two of the first North Alabama batters reached on errors. With one out in the first, the next seven Lions reached base and capped off a five-run inning. Things went a little more smoothly in the second and third for West Florida, as Sarah Maloney allowed just two hits and struck out one in those frames.
 
West Florida battled back in the third and fourth innings, with the RBIs from Castro, Toney and Sassman to tie the game.
 
North Alabama took the momentum in the bottom of the fourth with some bad luck going UWF's way. With control issues hitting West Florida in that inning, UNA loaded the bases on walks and a hit by pitch, and Anna Gayle Norris took the lead with a home run. North Alabama put up five more in the fifth to take the win.
 
With her 12th RBI in the fourth, Toney matched her total from 2015, and Castro put up her fourth multi-RBI game of the season.
 
West Florida will travel to No. 3 Alabama Huntsville for a three-game series on March 12-13.
 
For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.