April 18, 2007

Box Score

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Antonio Franzese allowed just two hits and led the University of North Florida baseball team to a monumental 3-2 upset victory over four-time national champion Miami on Wednesday night at Mark Light Stadium.

Franzese (1-3), who made his first career start, stifled Hurricanes hitters in seven innings with his movement-loaded fastball and breaking pitches to pick up the win. He threw a career-high seven innings, struck out a career-high four batters, allowed just two hits and didn't allow a leadoff hitter to reach base. He had a one-hitter going through six innings, and it was the least amount of hits allowed by a UNF starting pitcher this season.

"Antonio deserves this win because we've had to use him in tough situations this year," said head coach Dusty Rhodes. "It was a great win for him, and it was one of the best games ever pitched in UNF history."

With the score tied at one in the top of the seventh, UNF was able to take the lead when sophomore center fielder Brian Wilson scored on a ground ball hit by Mycal Jones. Jones finished with two RBI on the night.

After adding another run in the top of the eighth when Jon Dandridge scored on an RBI grounder by TJ Thompson, the Ospreys took a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the inning. Miami was able to cut the UNF lead to 3-2 on a home run. Dandridge helped UNF out in the inning by making a spectacular diving catch in right field and quickly fired the ball to first base for what turned out to be a game-saving double play. Senior righty Derek Bell closed out the game in the bottom of the ninth to pick up his first career save.

After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the second when Miami's Dennis Raben hit a home run, the Ospreys tied it up when junior designated hitter Travis Martin scored on an RBI groundout by Jones. Martin led off the inning with a single to right field, which broke a 1-for-23 slump against left-handed pitching for Martin.

UNF (16-25) picked up its first-ever win over the Hurricanes (25-17), and it was the Ospreys' first win over an in-state major conference opponent this season. UNF upset the ranked Florida Gators last season in Jacksonville. The win snapped a five-game skid for UNF.

"It was a good win for us," Rhodes said. "It was good for our young guys to play well tonight, and this was a win we needed."

The Ospreys will try to build on the victory when they return to the diamond this weekend with a three-game series against Mercer in Atlantic Sun Conference action at Harmon Stadium. The series will begin with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

NOTES FROM THE NEST
Since making the move to Division I, the win was the third for UNF over a traditional major conference baseball power (other wins came over LSU and Florida last season) ... the Ospreys collected their first non-conference road win of the season ... Miami was ranked No. 5 in the preseason ... the save by Bell was UNF's first in 10 games ... it was the first time this season UNF picked up all of its runs on non-hits in a win ... Jones collected his eighth multiple RBI game of the season ... Ospreys pitchers held Miami to 0-7 hitting after a runner reached base.