UNF sweeps off dust with pair of wins

Saturday, April 25

Jacksonville, Fla.

1 p.m.

University of North Florida

16-23, 10-9

Mercer

17-19, 7-12

Mercer

North Florida

Junior Preston Hale knocked out two home runs and drove in six runs on Saturday.

4/25/2009 7:51:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Ospreys down Bears in doubleheader

By: Eric Scott, UNF Athletics

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Even after more than a week off, the University of North Florida baseball team had no problem sweeping off the dust and claiming two wins over Mercer on Saturday at Harmon Stadium in a doubleheader.

UNF (17-23, 11-9 Atlantic Sun Conference) combined for 18 runs on 21 hits and won by scores of 10-0 and 8-6. Junior Preston Hale stood out for the Ospreys, going 6-for-9 with two home runs, five runs scored, six RBI and a double.

Senior right-handed pitcher John Frawley (6-1) notched his fifth-straight complete-game win and third shutout of the season with his win in game one. Frawley baffled the Bears, allowing just three hits while striking out three batters.

His three shutouts this year are the most by a UNF pitcher since 2001. It was the least amount of hits Frawley had given up in a start this season.

Frawley retired the first eight batters in game one before Mercer's Billy Burns finally recorded a hit with a single up the middle. UNF provided Frawley with plenty of fuel for his performance beginning in the bottom of the first when the Ospreys got out to a 4-0 lead on RBI singles from Hale and junior Justin Preckajlo.

Junior TJ Thompson also knocked in a run on a fielder's choice and scored when junior David Eldredge grounded into a double play.

Hale continued to torch the Bears in the bottom of the second with a two-run double to the gap in left center to help senior Brian Wilson and sophomore Sam Perry to score.

After a two-inning break from the scoreboard, the Ospreys picked it up again in the bottom of the fifth with four more runs. Junior Kevin Martin brought Preckajlo and Hale in to score on a single to left center to get it started.

Perry later followed with an RBI single through the left side to help Martin score. Sophomore Michael Smith tallied an RBI when he was plunked with a pitch from Mercer's David Randall.

The Ospreys carried their momentum over to the second game when they got out to a 5-0 lead after three innings. Hale moved UNF out to a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.

UNF added three in the bottom of the third, beginning with an RBI double by Preckajlo to bring Thompson in to score, who led off the inning with a double. The Ospreys later juiced the bases, which allowed Preckajlo to score when Smith was hit by a pitch. Martin tacked on another run when he scored on a sacrifice fly by Wilson.

Mercer (17-20, 7-13) finally got on the board in the top of the fourth and score three more runs in the fifth and sixth, but single runs by the Ospreys in the fourth, fifth and sixth helped them hold on to the lead.

After two runs by the Bears in the top of the eighth, senior righty Antonio Franzese slammed the door on Mercer in the final 1.1 innings and didn't allow a run to tally the third save of his career and first since 2007.

Senior right-handed pitcher Phil Rorabaugh (2-4) was credited with the win after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing three runs on five hits. It was Rorabaugh's first win in nearly a month.

The wins clinched UNF's third-straight conference series victory at home. The Ospreys have now outscored conference opponents 72-62 at home.

UNF will conclude the series against Mercer at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Harmon Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on WBOB-AM 1320 in Jacksonville and will be shown on ASun.TV.