March 4, 2007
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida baseball team took advantage of timely hitting and solid pitching to extend its winning streak to three games in a 9-5 win at Harmon Stadium over Florida A&M on Sunday at the Kennel Club Classic.
Senior starting RHP Derek Bell (1-0) led UNF on the mound, going six innings and allowing three earned runs on nine hits to pick up his first win in his first career start. Sophomore center fielder Brian Wilson led the Ospreys at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Senior right fielder Jon Dandridge also had a solid day, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Florida A&M got on the scoreboard first with Anthony Mazzeo's RBI single to right field to put the Rattlers on top 1-0 after the top of the first. But the Ospreys swooped in and snatched the lead from FAMU in the bottom of the inning, exploding for five runs.
Redshirt freshman Mycal Jones got it started with a leadoff double, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Senior designated hitter Brandon Diaz knocked him in with a double to right field. Consecutive singles by senior first baseman Jimmy Glanville and Wilson added two more runs to the scoreboard. Glanville scored a run on the next play on an error, and Dandridge capped it all off with an RBI single to give UNF a 5-1 lead.
UNF (5-9) added two more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 7-1 lead. Senior left fielder Damon Olinto kicked it off with an RBI single that drove in Wilson. Dandridge then tallied his second RBI on a single to right field that drove in Olinto. Freshman T.J. Thompson upped the Ospreys' lead to 8-1 in the bottom of the fourth when he launched his first career home run to right field off FAMU's Chad Smith.
Bell sailed through the first five innings, allowing only one run. But he ran into trouble in the top of the sixth, allowing three runs. But he was able to bear down and close it out to help the Ospreys preserve an 8-5 lead.
The Ospreys were able to pad their lead in the bottom of the eighth to 9-5 when freshman Andrew Hannon scored his first career run on an error by the Rattlers.
The lead proved to be more than enough for sophomore RHP Tyler Stohr, who mowed down FAMU hitters one-by-one in his stellar three innings of work. He allowed just one hit and struck out two to pick up his first career save.
UNF will attempt to improve on its 3-0 Kennel Club Classic record tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. against Western Michigan. WMU (2-1) is coming off a 9-3 loss to Bethune-Cookman on Sunday. Live stats and audio will be available on UNFOspreys.com.
