March 5, 2007
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Just when it looked like the University of North Florida baseball team was down and out, the Ospreys came out of nowhere and came all the way back from a 7-2 deficit to beat Western Michigan 12-9 on Monday night at Harmon Stadium in the 2007 Kennel Club Classic.
Sophomore center fielder Brian Wilson and senior right fielder Jon Dandridge led the charge in the bottom of the sixth inning, with Wilson starting it off with an RBI single that drove in junior designated hitter Travis Martin. Dandridge helped cut the WMU lead to 7-5 with a two-run single that knocked in Wilson and senior first baseman Jimmy Glanville.
The Broncos (2-2) kicked back in the top of the seventh, adding two runs to extend its lead to 9-5, but the Ospreys didn't fly away. Junior Mike Smith led the bottom of the inning off with his first career hit at UNF - a solo home run to left center. Martin kept UNF's good fortune going, reaching base with a double down the right field line and sending senior left fielder Damon Olinto to third base. In the next at-bat, senior catcher James Belyea drove in Olinto with a sacrifice fly to center field. Glanville capped off the barrage of runs with an RBI single that drove in Martin. At the end of the inning, the Ospreys were knocking on WMU's door down only 9-8.
UNF (6-9) didn't let up, coming back with more ferocity in the bottom of the eighth. Faced with two outs, the Ospreys decided to do rather than die. Olinto drove in Smith on an RBI single to knot the score at nine. Then Martin bashed an RBI single to right field that drove in junior shortstop Chad Knight. With the bases loaded, Glanville hit a two-run single to left field that scored junior T.J. Gaudy and Olinto to put UNF up by three.
Redshirt freshman RHP Jonathan Turner (1-0) turned out the lights in the top of the ninth. Turner, who picked up his first career win after tossing 3.2 innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out four in relief of freshman LHP John Atteo, struck out WMU's Neal Miller, and then got D.J. Perrin to foul out to Glanville. WMU's Brent Gerlach blasted a ball that almost got through the left side hole, but Smith was there to make an unbelievable play, scooping up the ball and backhanding a throw to Knight that forced the runner out at second base to end the game.
Several Ospreys broke out at the plate, with Martin leading the flock. After entering the game with a .160 batting average, Martin busted out for a 4-for-4 performance with two RBIs and three runs scored. Glanville continued his hot streak, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored. Smith finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
The win extended UNF's winning streak to four games and helped them push their record to 4-0 in the 2007 Kennel Club Classic.
North Florida will take on Western Michigan once more at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Harmon Stadium. Live stats and audio will be available on UNFOspreys.com.
