University of North Florida
Francis Marion
UNF baseball splits PBC games
with Francis Marion
3/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 25, 2005
Box Score (Gm 1)
Box Score (Gm 2)
FLORENCE, S.C. - North Florida's Jon Skorupski delivered an RBI-single in the top of the sixth inning in the second game of a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader with 10th-ranked Francis Marion on Friday afternoon, giving the Ospreys a 2-1 win after they dropped the first game to the Patriots, 4-3, at Cormell Field.
In game one, UNF (22-9, 8-6 PBC) committed five errors - leading to three unearned runs for Francis Marion (21-8-1, 11-8-1 PBC) in the first inning. The fifth-ranked Ospreys rebounded with strong defense and clutch pitching by starter Kyle Aylor and closer Josh Papelbon to earn the game-two victory, however, and snap the Patriots' six-game home winning streak.
Skorupski's game-winner scored Brennan Grogan from third after Grogan opened the inning with a bunt single, advanced to second on a balk by Francis Marion pitcher Lee Tabor and moved to third on a fly out by Matt Oxendine. The Patriots had tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a bases-loaded walk by Danny Mattonelli.
"You have got to play good defense," UNF head coach Dusty Rhodes said. "We didn't do that in the first game, and we hurt ourselves with walks and not being aggressive enough at the plate. When you play good teams, you have to play good defense. We didn't do that today and it cost us."
Papelbon (3-1) earned the win, allowing a hit and two walks in three innings for UNF in game two. Lee Tabor (6-2) suffered the loss, allowing one earned run and six hits in 6.1 innings.
Skorupski was 2-for-3 for UNF in game two, while Grant Rogers was 2-for-2 with a run scored.
In game one, UNF battled back from a 3-0 deficit with runs in the second, fourth and sixth innings - the last coming on Marion Knowles' solo home run. Francis Marion then loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh against UNF starter Ryan Amason (3-1), forcing him from the game.
Jared Incinelli relieved Amason and allowed an infield single to Jason Weaver, which pushed across the go-ahead run for the Patriots. Incinelli induced an inning-ending double play after that, however, and got the Ospreys out of trouble.
FMU starter Dylan Owen (4-1) took over from there, striking out five of the last six batters he faced in earning the complete-game win. Owen allowed seven hits and struck out eight.
Amason allowed eight hits and struck out two in six innings.
Josh Howard and Knowles were both 2-for-4 for the Ospreys in game one.
The teams will conclude their series at 1 p.m. on Saturday with a single game. Fans can follow the action pitch-by-pitch via GameTracker at www.UNFOspreys.com.
