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University of North Florida Athletics

Merritt running the bases
Morgan Purvis
9
Winner Hartford HARTFORD 2-0
8
North Florida UNF 3-4
Winner
Hartford HARTFORD
2-0
9
Final
8
North Florida UNF
3-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Hartford HARTFORD 0 3 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 9 11 2
North Florida UNF 0 6 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 12 2

W: Drouin, David (1-0) L: German, Frank (0-1) S: Ferguson, Collin (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Hartford Outlasts @OspreyBSB to Clinch Series

Box Score (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of Hartford (2-0) scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and came away with a 9-8, victory in the middle game of a three game series with North Florida baseball. The Ospreys suffer their third-straight, one-run loss and fall to 3-4 on the season.
 
The story of both offenses could be told in two, game-changing innings. Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the second, the Ospreys exploded for six runs, the most runs scored in a single inning this season. The six-spot gave North Florida a 6-3 lead.
 
It was the Hawks turn in the top of the fifth when they strung together five consecutive RBI singles with two outs for five runs and an 8-7 lead. It marks the fourth time in seven games a North Florida opponent has scored four or more runs in an inning.
 
The Ospreys responded in the bottom half of the fifth inning, tying the game on a Nick Karmeris two-out, RBI single scoring Chris Thibideau. With the score tied at eight in the top of the eighth inning, Hartford worked two walks including an 11-pitch, lead-off free pass to Dalton Ruch. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position and Ruch scored the eventual game-deciding run on an Osprey fielding error.
 
The offensive highlights continue to fly off the bat of junior Alex Merritt. The red-hot hitting third baseman launched a grand slam that defined the Ospreys' six-run, second inning. He finished the day 2-for-5 with a double, home run and four RBIs. Dating back to last season, he has homered four times in his last 38 at bats.
 
Senior Keith Skinner extended his hitting streak to 10 games and tied a career-high with four hits. The catcher drove in two runs including the second of the game that preceded Merritt's big blast in the 2nd inning. He is tied for the team lead in RBIs with seven and has a team-best, .519 batting average.
 
Osprey starting pitcher Matt Vaka struck out a career best six batters in the no decision. Four of the seven run he allowed were earned and he left the game in the fifth with an 8-5 lead.
 
The Hawks took advantage of an early Osprey error in the second inning when Ruch reached on a dropped line drive that would have ended the inning. Instead the next batter, catcher Billy Walker, cracked a three-run home run to left field to give Hartford the early 3-0 advantage.
 
Dating back to 2015, 12 of the Ospreys' last 20 losses, including all four this season, have been by one run
 
North Florida will look to salvage the series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. The Ospreys will send Anthony Delaney to the mound and he will be opposed by Hartford righty Brian Murphy. Fans can enjoy "Baseball Bingo" for prizes during tomorrow's contest.
 
 
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