JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Not even a one hour, 15 minutes lightning delay could keep the University of North Florida baseball team from producing an 8-7 win on Friday over Campbell to get to .500 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

 

The game began with a slight downpour of rain soon subsided. Shortly after the seventh-inning stretch, a lightning storm made its way near Harmon Stadium, which prompted a delay. The time gave UNF (17-12, 8-8 Atlantic Sun Conference) a chance to think about how it wanted to overcome adversity.

 

The Ospreys held what seemed to be an insurmountable 7-3 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, but a grand slam by Campbell's Ryan Hamme tied the game at seven.

 

After the long delay was over, the teams shut each other down at the plate until the bottom of the ninth when sophomore T.J. Thompson hit an RBI single up the middle to bring in freshman Michael R. Smith for the game-winning run.

 

UNF took control early with seven runs in the first three innings. Senior T.J. Gaudy got it started for the Ospreys with a two-run single in the bottom of the first that allowed senior Travis Martin and sophomore Preston Hale to score. An RBI single by senior Mike P. Smith brought sophomore Andrew Hannon across the plate.

 

The Ospreys kept the pressure on in the bottom of the second when senior Chad Knight hit an RBI single down the right field line. Thompson put another run on the board when he scored on a fielding error by Campbell shortstop Zach Johnson, who bobbled the ball trying to start a double play.

 

A double to left field by Martin allowed Knight to score for the inning's final run. UNF tacked on another run in the next inning when Hale's sacrifice fly allowed sophomore Michael Gropper to score.

 

Gropper finished 3-for-4, including a career-high two doubles. Martin went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Junior RHP Tyler Stohr (2-2) picked up the win after shutting down the Camels in the top of the ninth, not allowing a hit and striking out two.

 

The Ospreys will return to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday with a doubleheader against Campbell. The games will be aired live and on-demand on ASUN.TV.