KSU ruins Pryor gems

Saturday, May 10

Kennesaw, Ga.

1:00 PM

University of North Florida

26-23, 15-13

Kennesaw State

26-24, 17-11

North Florida

Kennesaw State

Sophomore Michael Gropper had a team-high two RBIs on Saturday.

5/10/2008 7:01:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Pryor brothers combine for solid outings

By: Eric Scott, UNF Athletics

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

KENNESAW, Ga. - Despite quality pitching performances from the Pryor brothers, the University of North Florida baseball team could not get its bats going during crunch time and dropped an Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader to Kennesaw State by scores of 3-1 and 5-2 on Saturday.

Junior RHP Ty Pryor and sophomore RHP Tucker Pryor combined to go 14.2 innings and allowed just two runs while striking out seven over both games for UNF (26-24, 15-14 A-Sun). Ty Pryor went 7.0 innings as the game one starter and allowed just one run on six hits in the no-decision. Tucker Pryor went 7.2 innings in relief of sophomore LHP John Atteo in the second game and gave up just one run on five hits while striking out four.

Sophomore T.J. Thompson went 3-for-7 with a double on the day, while sophomore Michael Gropper had a team-high two RBIs.

Game one was the epitome of a classic pitchers duel, with Ty Pryor and Kennesaw State RHP Kyle Heckathorn trading shots and keeping the game a close affair. The Owls got on the board first in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from Martin Baker.

The Ospreys countered in the top of the sixth when senior Chad Knight hammered a home run over the right field wall for his first round-tripper of the season to tie the game at one. UNF had a chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth when Gropper led off the inning with a single.

Freshman Michael R. Smith, who pinch ran for Gropper, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Thompson, and Knight followed it up by reaching base on a walk. But a strikeout by sophomore Preston Hale and a popout by senior Travis Martin ended the Osprey rally.

Ty Pryor was pulled in the bottom of the eighth after allowing Jacob Robbins to reach on an infield single and advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Baker.

Junior RHP Phil Rorabaugh entered the game in relief when Ty Pryor fell behind in the count 2- 0 to Ric Bishop. Bishop didn't have a very friendly greeting for Rorabaugh, homering to right to give the Owls a two-run lead.

KSU's Michael Bohana was able to get the final out of the game for the Owls in the top of the ninth when he struck out sophomore Ryan Lowe to pick up the save. Kenny Faulk picked up the win for the Owls after tossing 1.1 innings in relief of Heckathorn. Rorabaugh dropped to 0-2 for UNF.

UNF's first inning woes continued in game two, with Atteo getting just one out and allowing four runs on three hits. Erase the first frame, and the Ospreys could have controlled the game's outcome with Tucker Pryor's gem.

In the top of the fifth, sophomore Andrew Hannon led off with a double down the left field line. After senior Andy Warren was able to dig out an infield hit, senior T.J. Gaudy moved Hannon and Warren over with a sacrifice bunt, which allowed Gropper to thread a single up the middle and drive the baserunners home.

But KSU's Chad Jenkins, who picked up the win after going 8.0 innings and striking out six, buckled down and ended UNF's rally after fanning senior Mike P. Smith and Thompson.

It was the just the second time all season the Ospreys fell in the first two games of a series, doing so back in March when they were swept by Belmont. It was also UNF's lowest two-game hit total (15) in a conference series this season.

The Ospreys will close out the series with a 1 p.m. contest against the Owls on Sunday. The game will be aired live on ASUN.TV, and audio and live stats will be available on UNFOspreys.com.