March 19, 2006

Final Stats

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The North Florida baseball team rebounded in a big way on Sunday afternoon after being swept in the first two games of its three-game series against East Tennessee State a day earlier.

In the series finale, the Ospreys pounded out 18 hits and scored a season-high in runs in thumping the Bucs 18-2 at Cardinal Field. Four Ospreys hit home runs, and UNF scored in five of the game's final six innings to snap a three-game losing streak.

Matt Oxendine was 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs to lead UNF (13-11, 6-3 A-Sun), while Brennan Grogan was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. James Belyea, Chad Knight and Grant Rogers also went deep for the Ospreys.

UNF got another solid performance on the mound from Brad Johnson (2-1), who allowed seven hits and one run in seven strong innings to earn the win. John Frawley pitched the final two innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits.

The Ospreys snapped a 1-1 tie in the second with an Oxendine RBI-single, which drove home Brandon Diaz to push UNF ahead 2-1. UNF added five more runs in the top of the fourth, capped by Oxendine's three-run homer to left field. That gave UNF a 7-1 advantage, and the Ospreys added another run in the fifth, two in the sixth, five in the seventh and three more in the ninth to cap the scoring.

ETSU's Tony Lombardi (0-6) suffered the loss, allowing six runs and seven hits in 3.1 innings for the Bucs (13-9, 4-2 A-Sun). Four ETSU relievers each allowed runs as well, with four errors aiding in the Bucs' demise. C.J. Lee was 3-for-4 with an RBI for ETSU.

UNF will take this week off before returning to action on Friday, when it begins a three-game weekend series against A-Sun foe Florida Atlantic at Harmon Stadium. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, and the game will be aired locally on Comcast Channels 14 and 99. The game will also be broadcast live on WIOJ-AM 1010 and carried via the World Wide Web at www.UNFOspreys.com.