April 10, 2007

Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga. - The game was for the taking for the University of North Florida baseball team on Tuesday night against Georgia Southern, but the Ospreys could not build on a four-run fourth inning and dropped a 5-4 non-conference game at J.I. Clements Stadium.

After a rough first two innings by senior starting LHP Andrew Stilley and redshirt freshman RHP Jonathan Turner in which they combined to allow five runs on six hits and faced 17 batters, junior Travis Martin came into the game and blanked Eagles hitters in five innings of work. Martin struck out three and gave up only four hits.

UNF hitters couldn't take advantage of the shut out pitching of Martin with the Ospreys leaving nine runners on base. UNF loaded the bases in the top of the fifth and had runners on second and third in the top of the eighth, but both rallied ended in strikeouts. Sophomore center fielder Brian Wilson drove in all three Osprey runs with a three-run double in the top of the fourth.

Things turned sour for UNF (15-21) in the bottom of the second when the Eagles put four runs up on the board. Stilley allowed two runs while Turner gave up three (two earned). They combined to give up four hits in the inning. The Eagles booted Turner out of the game in the bottom of the next inning after he allowed an RBI double to extend GSU's lead to 5-0. Martin was able to put out the fire in the inning and retired every batter he faced.

UNF's big fourth inning helped inch it back in the game. Wilson's double to the gap in right center that cleared the bases and allowed freshman T.J. Thompson, senior Jon Dandridge and senior Jimmy Glanville to score. Freshman Preston Hale was able to notch another run on the board when his sacrifice fly to left field that drove in Wilson.

In the top of the fifth, UNF was helped when GSU relief pitcher Burt Barto walked three Ospreys to load the bases. But two strikeouts in the inning by UNF bailed out the Eagles and stymied the Osprey threat.

The Ospreys put themselves to take the lead in the top of the eighth when reached base on a single and redshirt freshman pinch hitter Kevin Martin was walked. A wild pitch gave UNF runners on second and third with the always dangerous Mycal Jones up to bat, but Jones could not pull through and struck out to end the inning. UNF was retired in order in the top of the ninth to end the game.

Junior second baseman Chad Knight collected two hits for the 13th time in his career and hammered a double while Glanville went 2-for-5 with a double.

The Ospreys will return to the diamond this weekend with a three-game series in Kennesaw, Ga., to take on the Kennesaw State Owls in Atlantic Sun Conference action. The series is set to begin with at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader. Live stats and audio will be available on UNFOspreys.com.