Feb. 12, 2006
Box Score
BATON ROUGE, La. - The University of North Florida baseball team captured its biggest win in its short time as an NCAA Division I member and one of the biggest wins in school history when it defeated 17th-ranked LSU 4-3 Sunday at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
Brandon Diaz's sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave UNF its first lead of the game. It's a lead the team wouldn't relenquish, as Jared Incinelli nailed the door shut on the Tigers in the bottom of the 10th inning to earn the win.
"There's no question this is a big win for our program," UNF head coach Dusty Rhodes said. "LSU is always a tough program and this year they are right there with the elite teams in the nation. This is a tough place to get a win, but we knew coming in that we could compete at this level. This is a great win for our guys and for our university."
Sophomore first baseman Jimmy Glanville led the UNF offense. The Florida Community College of Jacksonville transfer was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Senior Matt Oxendine and junior Damon Olinto also picked up a pair of hits to help pace the Osprey offense.
Incinelli (1-0) earned the win for UNF after tossing 5.0 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run, while striking out four Tigers.
Senior right-hander Ryan Amason (0-1) also pitched 5.0 innings for UNF, allowing two runs on seven hits, while striking out five LSU batters.
The Tigers broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when Michael Hollander started the LSU half of the third with a bunt single and advanced to second base on a throwing error by UNF third baseman Grant Rogers. After a sacrifice bunt by Buzzy Haydel and a walk by Bruce Sprowl, Jarred Bogany plated Hollander with a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. LSU tacked on one more run to extend its lead to 2-0 on the strength of a single by J.T. Wise.
The Ospreys cut LSU's lead to one run in the top half of the fourth inning. UNF started the inning with a double by Glanville. A sacrifice bunt by Jonathan Hodach moved Glanville to third. On the ensuing at bat junior left fielder Brett Maloley singled to right field to plate Glanville.
UNF knotted the game at two runs apiece in the top of sixth inning when Glanville and senior Jonathan Hodach put together back-to-back singles, which led to an RBI single by Olinto to tie the game at 2-2.
The Tigers jumped back ahead in the bottom of the sixth when Matt Liuzza opened the inning with a double off the right field wall and later came around to score on a single by Steven Waguespack to give LSU a 3-2 lead.
UNF used a pair of singles by Oxendine and Brennan Grogan and a bunt single by Glanville to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh inning.
The Ospreys took their first lead of the series in the top of the 10th inning when a sacrifice fly to left field by Diaz plated Olinto, who opened the inning with a double to right center field. Rogers had sacrificed Olinto to third base on the previous at bat.
The win snapped a three-game UNF losing streak and also improved UNF's record against SEC schools to 3-3 all-time.
UNF will return to action on Feb. 17 for the first game of a three-game series with in-state rival UCF. The first game of the series is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. EST in Orlando, Fla.
