#BSB Takes Both Games of Saturday Doubleheader

Saturday, February 22

Jacksonville, Fla.

12:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

3-2

Fairfield

0-1

Fairfield

North Florida

2/22/2014 7:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Box Score Game 1 (PDF)
Box Score Game 2 (PDF)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida baseball team took both games of today's doubleheader against Fairfield University (0-2) to improve to 4-2 on the season. The Ospreys came from behind to win, 5-3 in game one and held on, 5-4 in the nightcap.

Game 1

A Donnie Dewees home run in the bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the difference in a 5-3, game one victory. After falling behind, 3-0 early in the contest the Ospreys rallied for five unanswered runs, picking up their third victory of the season.

The Ospreys collected a season-high 14 hits in the game one win. Kyle Brooks and Patrick Ervin each had three hits in the game. The UNF 1-through-4 hitters went a combined to go 9-for-17 with four runs and three RBIs.

Playing for the first time this season, Fairfield showed no signs of rust through their first two turns at the plate. The Stags racked up five hits and took advantage of two Osprey errors to jump out to a 4-0 lead after two innings.

The Osprey offense kicked into gear in the bottom of the fifth inning scoring three runs and taking the lead for good. Kyle Brooks started the one out rally with an infield single. The next batter Weeks, ripped a RBI double to left center field that scored Brooks who was running on the pitch. Sophomore Donnie Dewees put the Ospreys on top, blasting a two-run home run over the right field wall to put UNF up 4-3 after five innings.

Getting his second start of the season, Garrick Ferguson helped UNF add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Ty Kelly led the frame off with a single to center field and later advanced to second on a passed ball. Ferguson stepped in and lined a double down the left field line to put the Ospreys up 5-3.

That would be all the run support that starting pitcher David Trexler and reliever Dan VanSickle needed. Trexler pitched into the sixth inning and allowed two earned runs while striking out one. VanSickle came on with two outs in the sixth and stranded a Fairfield base runner. He went on to pitch the final three innings, allowing no runs and striking out three to earn his first save of the season.

Game 2
The hot bats led the way once again in the nightcap as the Ospreys racked up 14 more hits in a 5-4 victory. UNF got a strong starting pitching effort from right hander Evan Incinelli who picked up his second win of 2014.

The Stags once again held the early lead, scoring two runs in the top of the third inning. Fairfield led the frame off with single from Alex Witkus and Sal Ciccone. Witkus was able to score on a sacrifice fly while Ciccone came around on Sebastian Salpietro's RBI double to left.

The Ospreys were able to knot the game right back up in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Drew Weeks blasted a solo home run to left field for his 10^th career long ball. Sophomore Donnie Dewees followed the homer up with a single to through the right side. The Osprey centerfielder scored later in the inning on an RBI double by Alex Merritt. It marked the third time this season that Merritt put forth a multiple-hit effort.

Both offenses went down quietly in the in the fourth but the Ospreys came back in the fifth and exploded for three more runs. Dewees started the Osprey rally with a lead-off single and went all the way to third on a Patrick Ervin double. An errant throw to the plate brought the first runner home and Ferguson singled home Ervin for the fourth run of the game. Sophomore Ty Kelly drove in his first run of the season with an RBI single to cap the UNF scoring.

Making just his fourth career start, Incinelli kept the Stag bats in check. He scattered six hits and allowed just two runs over six innings of work. He recorded a career-best three strikeouts in his second appearance of the season.

The Stags made it interesting over the final few innings. In the top of the seventh, Fairfield hit back-to-back solo homers with two outs. In his first career at bat, Zac Candelaria hit one over the left field wall and Jack Gianni followed up with a deep blast to left center field to make the score, 5-4.

Fairfield came within 90 feet of tying the game up in their final turn at the plate. The Stags loaded the bases with one out. Osprey senior Ryan McMahon worked out of the jam and struck out the game's final batter to earn his second career save.

UNF will look to complete the series sweep tomorrow afternoon at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.