April 15, 2007
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - A slippery
ending was unavoidable for the University of North
Florida baseball team on Sunday with more moisture
and cold weather gracing Stillwell Stadium, and the
Ospreys dropped two games to Kennesaw State to
get swept by the Owls for the first time since 1998.
UNF (15-24, 6-9 Atlantic Sun Conference) was
swept for just the second time by Kennesaw in the
storied series history between the teams when the
Ospreys dropped the first game 5-1 and the finale 8-1.
The Ospreys have swept KSU three times in the
series history.
Although the Ospreys got strong performances all
weekend from their starting pitchers, it was countered
with lethargic hitting by UNF batters. UNF totaled just
four runs in the series and collected only four hits in
the final game. In the first game of the day, UNF
managed just one run despite producing 10 hits.
Freshman TJ Thompson
led UNF in the series by going 4-for-10 with a pair of
RBIs.
The Ospreys began the day by resuming their
postponed game from Saturday. The game was
resumed in progress in the bottom of the seventh with
a runner on first and a 3-1 count on the Owls' Zach
Upton. Sophomore Antonio
Franzese took over the game from senior RHP Derek Bell (2-2),
who started the game and went six innings and
allowed just two earned runs on five hits but picked up
the tough loss. Franzese put Upton on with a walk,
and Kennesaw was able to take a 2-1 lead in the
inning. The Owls extended their lead in the next inning
with three more runs.
UNF put up a fight in the top of the eighth, getting
hits from seniors Jimmy
Glanville and Jon
Dandridge to put runners at second and third, but
the Ospreys weren't able to come through and were
shut down in the top of the ninth to drop the game.
Freshman lefty John Atteo (4-3)
continued his string of solid starts, but this time a lack
of run support broke his streak of non-losses. He
went six innings and allowed two runs on seven hits
while striking out five in his first loss since Feb. 18
against Tulane. Prior to the game, Atteo had a two-
game winning streak and had won four of his past five
games.
After Atteo allowed two runs in the bottom of the
first, he buckled down and cut off the Owls for the next
five innings. UNF hitters were stifled by the pitching of
KSU's Dan Dale until the top of the seventh when a
two-out RBI single by Thompson
pulled the Ospreys to within 2-1. Junior Andy Warren
kept the inning alive with a single to center, but a
groundout by freshman Preston Hale
ended the rally.
UNF will step back onto the diamond on Tuesday
when it makes a trip down to South Beach for a two-
game trip. The Ospreys will face off against Florida
Atlantic at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and will play Miami at 7
p.m. Wednesday. Audio and live stats will be available
on UNFOspreys.com.
