No. 23 UF downs Ospreys, 5-3

Wednesday, March 25

Gainesville, Fla.

6:30 p.m.

University of North Florida

9-16

Florida

15-8

North Florida

Florida

Junior TJ Thompson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a double on Wednesday.

3/25/2009 10:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

UNF scores two in top of eighth but falls short

By: Eric Scott, UNF Athletics

Box Score

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida baseball team started and finished strong, but it was not enough to overcome three crucial errors in a 5-3 loss to No. 23 Florida at McKethan Stadium on Wednesday.

A night after upsetting the Gators in Jacksonville, 3- 0, UNF (9-16) were not able to hold on to a 1-0 lead that was fabricated in the top of the second when junior TJ Thompson scored on a double play. He led off the inning two at bats earlier with a double just inside the right field line.

UF's Matt den Dekker brought out the equalizer in the bottom of the third with a line-drive home run to right field. After that, the Gators (15-8) took control and scored four runs over the next three innings to go up 5- 1. All of the Ospreys' errors came in the bottom of the fifth, two of which came from errant outfield throws.

But just when the game seemed out of reach, the Ospreys made it a ballgame. After a double down the left field line by redshirt freshman Andrew Karmeris gave UNF runners on second and third, Thompson knocked in both runners when his fly ball to right field was ruled a trap by Florida right fielder Daniel Pigott.

The Ospreys were able to get a runner on in the top of the ninth when sophomore Robbie Collier reached with a one-out walk, but Florida's Billy Bullock shut the door after that on sophomores Sam Perry and Michael Smith to pick up his fourth save of the season.

Florida's Justin Poovey was credited with the win after tossing 4.2 innings of scoreless relief. Collier dropped to 0-2 on the season after allowing three runs on five hits in 4.2 innings of work. Senior RHP Ty Pryor and LHP John Atteo combined to toss 2.0 innings of scoreless relief for the Ospreys.

Thompson finished with two RBIs and went 2-for- 3 with a double, while Karmeris also tallied a double and went 2-for-4. It was the fifth time in the all-time series between UNF and UF that a game was decided by two runs or less.

UNF will return to action this weekend when it travels to Buies Creek, N.C., for a three-game series with Atlantic Sun Conference foe Campbell. The slate will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday and conclude with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.