Martin homers, but Ospreys fall

Friday, May 1

DeLand, Fla.

6:30 p.m.

University of North Florida

18-25, 0

Stetson

22-24, 0

North Florida

Stetson

Junior TJ Thompson had two hits Friday night

5/2/2009 12:07:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

UNF left 10 runners on base, including five in scoring position

By: Adam Jonson, UNF Athletics

Box Score

DELAND, Fla. – A solo home run by junior Kevin Martin was the only highlight in the University of North Florida baseball squad's Atlantic Sun Conference outing at Stetson Friday night with the Hatters knocking 17 hits and running away with a 14-1 victory.

The Ospreys' conference record fell to even at 11-11 (18-25 overall) while Stetson improved its league mark to 11-11 and improved to 22-24 overall.

Martin's second-inning blast (his ninth of the season) over the left field wall tied the ball game at 1-1 after the Hatters plated one in the bottom of the first inning. The league leader in RBIs Jeremy Cruz increased his season total to 64 with an RBI groundout to third base.

Senior John Frawley (6-2) threw five innings for UNF, picking up his second loss of the season. Stetson scored another run off Frawley in the second inning before tallying two in the fourth and one in the fifth. Frawley allowed 10 hits and two earned runs while striking out seven.

UNF finished with seven hits in the contest and had several opportunities to put together big innings. The Ospreys left 10 runners on base, including five in scoring position. Trailing 5-1, UNF left the bases juiced in the sixth inning after juniors TJ Thompson and Justin Preckajlo each singled to begin the frame. Junior David Eldredge walked to load the pads, but sophomore Sam Perry's fly ball to center field wound up in Casey Frawley's glove 10 feet shy of the warning track.

The Hatters exploded in the eighth inning for nine runs, forcing the Ospreys to use four pitchers to get two outs. Sophomore Robbie Collier began the inning with a strikeout after tossing the previous two, allowing three runs on three hits with five strikeouts, before senior Mike Gottlieb relieved him. Gottlieb faced two batters, as did juniors Kristopher Linster and Greg Koehler. The trio recorded no outs and gave up four walks and six runs. Junior Tucker Pryor closed the inning with two strikeouts. He allowed three hits, but no runs were charged to him.

Andy Mauldin (2-4) earned the win after going five innings and allowing seven hits and one run with four strikeouts. Six hatters racked up multiple hits with Sean Emory gathering four hits, two runs and two RBIs and Mark Jones scoring three hits, two RBIs and one run.

Junior Preston Hale and Thompson each had two hits for the Ospreys.

The two teams will square off again Saturday at 7 p.m. at Melching Field at Conrad Park and then seal the series Sunday at 1 p.m.