Box Score

TROY, Ala. – The University of North Florida baseball team gave its all on Wednesday but couldn't pull out a win in extra innings, falling 11-10 to Troy in the bottom of the 11th.

 

Senior Chad Knight led UNF (9-9) with three RBIs, a triple and a run scored. Redshirt freshman Paul Morales had career-highs of three hits, three runs scored and two doubles.

 

In the top of the eighth with the Ospreys trailing 9-8, Knight was able to reach on an error by Troy first baseman Michael Precise, whose errant throw to home plate allowed sophomore catcher Ryan Lowe and Morales to score, giving UNF the 10-9 lead.

 

But in the bottom of the ninth the Ospreys' inability to stop Troy's running game allowed the Trojans to steal away the win. Troy's Steven Felix put himself in position to score the tying run when he stole both second and third. The Trojans' Josh Blackwell doubled in Felix in the next play to send the game to extras.

 

Troy (13-7) was able to prevail in the bottom of the 11th when sophomore Tucker Pryor allowed a bases-loaded walk to the Trojans' Paul Gatchell. Trouble began for the Ospreys when Troy's Adam Bryant reached base on a one-out bunt single and Charley Williams was walked. The bases became full when Blackwell hit a single to the left side hole, which would have scored Bryant if it weren't for Knight's diving stop.

 

The Ospreys first got on the board in the top of the second when a balk by Troy's Mike Powers allowed senior Travis Martin to score and tie the game at one.

 

Morales gave UNF its first lead of the game in the top of the fifth when he crushed a double to the right center gap, allowing senior Mike P. Smith to score. Knight tacked on another run to give the Ospreys a 3-1 lead when he slipped an RBI single through the right side of the infield.

 

Things went south for UNF in the bottom of the sixth when Troy put up eight runs to go up 9-3. Three of the runs were charged to UNF starting RHP Ty Pryor, while five were charged to junior RHP John Raiford, who had a tough time finding the strike zone and preventing hits.

 

Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, the Ospreys pulled together and put a dent in the armor of the Trojans. UNF tallied five runs in the top of the seventh to pull to within one run of the Troy lead. Knight led the charge with a two-run triple that drove in sophomore T.J. Thompson and Lowe.

 

UNF tallied double-digits in hits and runs for the first time in four games. It was the fourth time this season the Ospreys had notched four doubles. Tucker Pryor picked up his first loss of the season to bring his record to 2-1.

 

The Ospreys will return to action this weekend for a three-game series with Atlantic Sun Conference opponent USC Upstate, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday. The game on Friday will be broadcast live starting at 5:45 p.m. on WBOB-AM 1320 in Jacksonville. All games will be shown live and on-demand on ASUN.TV.