Box Score (PDF)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Head Coach
Smoke Laval won his 600
th career game this afternoon in a 16-7 win over cross-town rival Jacksonville University (18-20, 4-4 A-Sun). The 16 Osprey runs ties a season-high and 15 of them came with two outs.
Laval, who is in his fifth season at the helm of the Ospreys, is the program's all-time leader in Division I wins with 149. The milestone win comes against his alma mater, Jacksonville, where he was a 1977 graduate. Laval is in his 17
th year as a head coach with previous stops at the University of Louisiana-Monroe and LSU.
After the Ospreys scored six runs in the second inning they went on to score eight more in the third inning, matching a single inning best this season. The Ospreys improve to 29-13 on the season and 7-4 in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
Redshirt sophomore
Donnie Dewees was right in the thick of the North Florida offensive onslaught. He was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, a home run and three runs scored. He was one of four Ospreys with three RBIs on the day. His two-run blast in the second inning was his A-Sun leading, 12
th of the year and put the Ospreys up 5-1. He also extended his hit streak to 18 games with a single in the first inning.
Setting the table for the Ospreys all afternoon was shortstop
Kyle Brooks who was 2-for-6 with a double, two runs scored and three RBIs. Laval and the Ospreys also got a breakout performance from
Alex Bacon. The senior outfielder had a career-high four hits and went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. He is now two hits away from career-hit number 200.
The recent power surge by
Corbin Olmstead also contributed to the big offensive day for the Ospreys. Serving as today's designated hitter, he capped the Ospreys eight-run third inning with his ninth homer of the year. He drove in all three of his runs on the one swing and now has three home runs in his last three games.
Freshman
Adam Polansky earned his first collegiate victory after coming on in relief in the fifth inning. He went on to toss three innings, allowing only two hits and one run. He took over for starting pitcher
Bryan Baker who was charged with six of the seven Jacksonville runs. Freshman
Conner Andrews collected the final four outs and surrendered only one hit.
The Ospreys have now scored six runs or more in a single inning, seven times this season. The 16 runs are the most scored against Jacksonville in the previous 54 meetings.
Tomorrow's rubber match is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Harmon Stadium. The Ospreys will send freshman
Matt Vaka (2-0) to the mound and he will be opposed by right-hander Justin Russell (2-5).