March 2, 2007
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida baseball team came out on top of a wild 17-15 slugfest against Florida A&M at Harmon Field on Friday in the first game of the 2007 Kennel Club Classic.
The teams combined for 33 hits, with the Ospreys (3-9) totaling 17. Senior first baseman Jimmy Glanville led the Ospreys and shattered his season-long stalemate by going 3-for-3 with a three-run home run, five RBIs and two runs scored to raise his season batting average to .250.
Fielding also proved to be at a loss for both teams, as they combined for six errors on the night with UNF committing four. Junior RHP Travis Martin (2-0) was able to pick up the win, but he did so after encountering a few speed bumps. He allowed seven earned runs on six hits while striking out six in six innings of work.
The game see sawed back and forth, with FAMU getting on the scoreboard first in the top of the second when David James hit a towering three-run home run to right field to put the Rattlers up 3-0. UNF countered in the bottom of the third inning to score four runs and take the 4-3 lead. Junior second baseman Chad Knight got the Ospreys rolling with a two-run single. Senior catcher James Belyea followed it up with an RBI single of his own, then senior Glanville hit a sacrifice fly to center field that allowed senior designated hitter Brandon Diaz to score.
The Rattlers (1-14) bit back in the top of the fourth to score two more runs and go back on top 5-4. UNF refused to lie down, however, taking back the lead in the bottom of the fourth to score four runs. The inning was highlighted by redshirt freshman shortstop Mycal Jones' two-run single.
FAMU recovered to knot the score at nine in the top of the sixth, but it didn't last long as the Ospreys tacked on three more in the bottom of the inning to make the score 12-9 in their favor. The score jumped to 15-13 in favor of the Ospreys going into the top of the ninth, and the Rattlers were able to make the finish a nail-biter.
After freshman LHP John Atteo was able to get two straight outs in the inning, FAMU lunged back to score two more runs make it 17-15. The Rattlers put themselves in position to take the game with the bases loaded, but Atteo came through and struck out Peter Guastella to pick up his first career save.
Jones finished 3-for-5 on the night with a career-high three RBIs and two runs scored. There was no shortage of offense for UNF, as four Ospreys finished with multiple RBI games.
North Florida will try to build on its win at 1 p.m. tomorrow against Bethune-Cookman at Harmon Stadium in the Kennel Club Classic. Live stats will be available on UNFOspreys.com.
