May 15, 2007

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio - In a game that will go down as one of the best in the all-time series between North Florida and Ohio State, the University of North Florida baseball team was edged 8-7 by the Buckeyes at Bill Davis Stadium on Tuesday night.

It was UNF's (23-29) second loss to OSU this season. The Ospreys fell in another one-run affair back on March 9 by a score of 3-2 in 11 innings. The game played out like a classic boxing match with the teams matching each other punch-for-punch, shown by the game's two ties and four lead changes.

In the end however, it was the Buckeyes (31-19) that scored the knockout. With the game tied at seven in the bottom of the ninth, a ball got away from sophomore Tyler Stohr (0-6) and hit OSU's Cory Kavanda with the bases loaded to drive in the game-winning run and create a less than ideal ending for such a heated duel. It was set up by a leadoff triple by OSU's Justin Miller on a ball that bounced off the top of the left center field wall and far away from center fielder TJ Gaudy and left fielder Preston Hale.

After UNF decided to strategically intentionally walk Jason Zoeller and Brian DeLucia to load the bases and set up a force at home, Stohr nearly ended the game on his first pitch to OSU's Cory Rupert on a toss that was high and inside. But Stohr was able to recover and retire Rupert on strikes to set up the final scenario.

The Ospreys were led at the plate by Travis Martin's 2-for-4, two RBI performance, while sophomore Brian Wilson notched his second home run of the season on a three-run blast in the third inning to give UNF the lead. Senior James Belyea also had a solid night, finishing 2-for-4 with a game-tying RBI single in the fourth inning.

Ohio State scored in each of the first three innings and got off to a 2-0 lead after two innings, but Wilson's round-tripper in the top of the third put the Ospreys up 3-2. But the Buckeyes regained the lead in the bottom of the third with three runs of their own to put the score at 5-3 in their favor. Ospreys' sophomore starting RHP Antonio Franzese was responsible for the five runs and was done after four innings.

With two outs in the top of the fourth, the Ospreys reached down and put together a rally started on a single by Hale. Martin's double to the center field wall brought Hale around to score and cut the OSU lead to one. Belyea tied the game in the next at-bat when his single to left field allowed the hustling Martin to score.

UNF retook the lead in the top of the sixth when Martin notched his second RBI with a single down the right field line that helped senior Jimmy Glanville to score. Hale was able to advance to third, and on the next play, Belyea laid down a surprise safety squeeze, but Hale was thrown out at home on a bulls eye throw by OSU RHP Rory Meister. But OSU quickly went back on top again in the bottom of the inning on Eric Fryer's two-run home run off senior LHP Renzo Sheppard.

The game was knotted once again in the top of the seventh when OSU's Rory Meister attempted a fake pickoff attempt to third base and balked, which allowed senior Jon Dandridge to score and set the score at 7-7.

UNF had a shot to put runners at second and third with one out in the top of the ninth, but Mycal Jones' bunt was quickly fielded by OSU pitcher Trey Fausnaugh to get the lead runner at third. Dandridge ended the inning by grounding into a double play.

The loss by UNF snapped its four-game winning streak. It was the ninth consecutive game the Ospreys were able to collect at least 10 hits.

UNF will conclude its two-game series with Ohio State at 12 p.m. tomorrow. Live stats and audio will be available on UNFOspreys.com.