UNF blasts four home runs

Friday, February 27

Jacksonville, Fla.

7 p.m.

University of North Florida

2-4

Ohio State

4-0

Ohio State

North Florida

Junior Preston Hale went 4-for-5 on Friday.

2/27/2009 10:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Ospreys fall to Ohio State, 11-6

By: Eric Scott, UNF Athletics

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida baseball team busted out 13 hits, including four home runs, but it wasn't enough to overtake Ohio State as the Ospreys fell 11-6 on Friday night at Harmon Stadium.

UNF (2-4) got round-trippers from senior Brian Wilson, sophomore Michael Smith, redshirt freshman Andrew Karmeris and junior David Eldredge. Junior Preston Hale shared the game-high with four hits, which included a double. Smith and Wilson both finished with two RBIs.

Smith got things off to an exciting start, crushing a two-run homer in the bottom of the second to tie the score at two. The shot also brought Wilson in to score, who led off the inning with a single up the middle.

Ohio State (4-0) gave the Ospreys a tough time in the top of the third, putting up four runs on two-run homers from Dan Burkhart and Ryan Dew. All of the runs were unearned because a passed ball allowed OSU's Michael Stephens to reach base after he struck out. The Buckeyes went on to add five total runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh.

The Ospreys put up two runs in the bottom of the fifth when Wilson's two-run homer to left center brought in junior Michael Gropper to score. Karmeris and Eldredge did their damage in the bottom of the eighth, each hitting a solo home run, but it was the last rally UNF could put together.

Senior RHP Phil Rorabaugh (0-2) picked up the loss after tossing 4.0 innings and allowing five hits. He gave up eight runs, but only four were earned. Rorabaugh and junior RHP Tucker Pryor combined for 10 strikeouts. UNF finished with five errors in the field.

UNF will return to action on Saturday with a double-dose of games, beginning at 11 a.m. against Connecticut in the first game of the second day of the 2009 Kennel Club Classic. The Ospreys will then take on Ohio State again at 7 p.m.