University of North Florida
UNC Pembroke
UNC Pembroke sweeps doubleheader from Ospreys in PBC opener
2/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
PEMBROKE, N.C (Feb. 12, 2005) - The UNC Pembroke baseball team did something on Saturday afternoon that only seven previous teams have done in the last seven years - win a conference series against the University of North Florida.
Chris Beck's RBI-single in the bottom of the 13th inning ended a duel between the team's closers in Saturday's first game to give UNCP a 5-4 win. A two-out, infield single by Tripp Lockhart with the bases loaded in the Braves' final at-bat in game two rallied them to a 4-3 victory.
UNF (4-3, 0-2 PBC) led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh in game two, but couldn't hold it. UNCP (10-0, 2-0 PBC) scored all four runs off Osprey starter Kyle Aylor (1-1), who had allowed just two hits prior to the seventh. Brooks West relieved Aylor with no one out and the bases loaded. Following a passed ball that allowed a run to score, West gave up a game-tying double before Colin Fender came on to give up the game-winning hit.
The teams will play a final game in the series on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., where UNF will try to avoid being swept in a Peach Belt series for only the second time ever.
"We had our chances to win both games," UNF head coach Dusty Rhodes said. "Right now we just aren't doing the little things to give ourselves a chance to win. We need to make plays, and we aren't making them in key situations. We'll come back tomorrow and try to get at least one."
UNF closer Josh Papelbon and Braves reliever Sandy Jacobs hooked up for an extra-inning pitchers' duel in game one, with Papelbon eventually allowing the decisive run in his sixth inning of work in the 13th inning. Papelbon (1-1) allowed only four hits in 5.1 innings but walked Pembroke's Tripp Lockhart to lead off the 13th. After a sacrifice bunt, passed ball and intentional walk, Beck delivered to give the Braves the win.
Jacobs (3-0) earned the win, allowing five hits and a run in six innings of work. The Ospreys left runners in scoring position in four of those six innings but couldn't push a run across in the final four frames.
Sadry Café was 4-for-4 in game one for UNF, driving in a run and scoring one. Marion Knowles was 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in the seventh that helped UNF erase a 4-1 deficit.
In game two, the Ospreys took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on RBI-singles by Matt Oxendine and Dennis Anderson. An error in the fifth inning allowed Oxendine to score from third and stretch the lead to 3-0. Things stood that way until the bottom of the seventh. Skorupski and Oxendine both finished 2-for-4 in game two for the Ospreys.
James Luper (2-0) pitched a complete game for UNC Pembroke in game two, allowing seven hits and three earned runs.
Sunday's game will be aired on WIOJ-AM 1010 in Jacksonville and on the World Wide Web at www.unf.edu/sports.
