March 27, 2007
Box Score
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The University of North Florida baseball team didn't have enough firepower to compete with the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday night as the Ospreys mustered just three hits and were shut out 6-0 at Dick Howser Stadium.
UNF (11-18) tied its season low in hits and was shut out for the second time this season. It was the first time in the UNF-FSU series that the Ospreys had been shut out. It was also the second time this season UNF lost to FSU, as the Ospreys dropped a 16-3 contest on Feb. 27 in Tallahassee.
Senior starting LHP Andrew Stilley had a solid outing in his limited work on the mound, lasting 3.1 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out two. Redshirt freshman RHP Jonathan Turner allowed three runs on four hits with four walks in 3.1 innings of relief. Junior Travis Martin, who also played as the designated hitter, closed out the last 1.1 innings on the mound and didn't allow a hit or run.
The only Ospreys to collect hits in the game were junior third baseman Chad Knight, sophomore center fielder Brian Wilson and freshman left fielder Preston Hale. UNF left six runners on base and struck out eight times. It was the fourth time this season UNF wasn't able to blast an extra-base hit.
Stilley was able to hold FSU scoreless through the first three innings and allowed only two hits, but he ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth. He gave up an RBI double to FSU's Buster Posey and allowed another run on a sacrifice fly by Jack Rye. Stilley was knocked out of the game after taking a line drive off his left leg by FSU's Ruairi O'Connor. The Seminoles scored three runs in the inning, two of which were earned.
The Ospreys threatened in the top of the fifth, as Wilson advanced Martin to second base on a single to left. But UNF's attempts to advance the runners into scoring position were foiled, as Hale's sacrifice bunt attempt and Wilson's attempt to steal third base were both sniffed out, effectively shutting down the Ospreys' offensive attack in the inning.
FSU (27-1) was able add another run in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the bottom of the sixth to push it to the final score. The Ospreys were able to prevent the powerful Seminoles from opening the flood gates, as FSU left nine runners on base.
The Ospreys will attempt to get things back on track this weekend when they head to Nashville for a three-game series with Lipscomb in Atlantic Sun Conference action. The series will begin at 7 p.m. eastern time on Friday and will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday that begins at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available on UNFOspreys.com.
