Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 UNF vs. Illinois State Boxscore
UNF vs. James Madison Boxscore
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball team played two games in the Kennel Club Classic earning a split on the day. The Ospreys (8-8) opened up the day with an 8-4 victory over IllinoisState, before falling 14-7 to James Madison.
In the first game, the Ospreys scored eight runs on 10 hits, including two home runs to pick up their eighth win of the season. Senior T.J. Thompson and sophomore Andrew Karmeris each had a home run in the game. Thompson, Karmeris and Preston Hale each finished game one with two hits apiece.
Senior Michael Kelly picked up his first win of the season against the Redbirds. Kelly scattered eight hits over a career-high 8.0 innings. He surrendered four runs with three earned runs. Kelly walked one batter while fanning six.
In the second game, North Florida committed a season-high seven errors which led to eight unearned runs to fall by seven to James Madison. The seven errors was two shy of the school record for most errors in a game set on Feb. 16, 1996, against GeorgiaCollege.
Offensively in game two, the Ospreys scored seven runs on nine hits. Thompson, Hale and senior Kevin Martin each had home runs in the game, while senior Justin Preckajlo added a double.
Junior Andrew Hannon had base hits in each game to extend his team-best hitting streak to 15 games.
Freshman Kyle Finch took the loss in game two. After surrendering five earned runs in the first inning, Finch allowed just one unearned run over the course of the next four innings. He struck out four batters with four walks.
The bullpen surrendered eight runs in the final four innings of play with only one earned run.
Game One Recap
IllinoisState was the first team to score. A lead off walk and stolen base gave the Redbirds a runner in scoring position. The runner advanced to third on a passed ball and came around to score on an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.
Trailing 1-0, the Ospreys responded with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Hannon led things off with a single to right field. The base hit extended his team-leading hitting streak to 14 games. Michael Smith followed with a double down the left field line to give UNF a pair of runners in scoring position. Hale put the Ospreys on the scoreboard with an RBI groundout to second base. Karmeris put North Florida ahead with an RBI single to center field. Preckajlo extended the inning with a single to right field. Thompson delivered an RBI single up the middle over the head of the second baseman. A fielder's choice scored the final run of the inning and put UNF ahead 4-1.
North Florida added a run in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Roberson led off the inning with a walk. He advanced to second on a Hannon single through the left side of the infield. A fly ball was deep enough to advance Roberson to third and an RBI ground out scored Roberson and gave UNF a 5-1 edge.
The Redbirds added a run in the top of the third inning. Kevin Tokarski hit his first home run of the season to cut the Ospreys lead to 5-2.
The Ospreys responded with a run in the bottom of the third. Thompson hit his third home run of the season and second in as many days to push the UNF lead back to four runs, 6-2.
ISU plated a runner in the top of the sixth inning. With a runner on second, a two-base error scored a run for the Redbirds, cutting the Osprey lead to 6-3.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, UNF scored two runs with one swing of the bat. With Hale on first base, Karmeris recorded his second home run in as many days as he blasted a homer off of the roof of the indoor batting cages behind left field to give North Florida a 8-3 lead.
Back-to-back doubles to lead off the top of the ninth inning cut the Ospreys' lead to 8-4. Relief pitcher Kris Linster entered the game and induced a double play and a pop up to end the game and seal the win.
Game Two Recap
In game two, James Madison struck first with a five-run first inning. After a strikeout, a hit batter, a single and a walk loaded the bases. A base-clearing double gave the Dukes a 3-0 lead. Following a second strikeout in the inning, JMU used a home run to take a 5-0 lead after a half an inning.
UNF responded with a runs in the bottom of the first and second innings to trim the deficit. Hale hit his third home run of the season in the first inning and a second inning double by Preckajlo followed by a pair of groundouts to advance the runner home cut the Dukes' lead to 5-2 after two full innings of play.
James Madison added a run in the top of the third inning. A single got things started for JMU and an errant throw on a pick off attempt allowed the runner to advance all the way to third. A seeing-eye single through the right side of the infield plated the runner and gave the visitors a 6-2 advantage.
The Ospreys plated a pair of runners in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hale was hit by a pitch to start off the inning and Kameris singled to give UNF a pair of base runners. A deep fly ball advanced both runners into scoring position. David Eldredge singled through the right side of the infield to score two runs and cut the JMU lead to 6-4.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, UNF pulled to within one with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Thompson hit a solo home run to right field. The home run was the third home run for the senior in a 24 hour period as he hit a home run against James Madison on Friday night and against IllinoisState earlier in the day.
The Dukes added an insurance run in the seventh inning. JMU plated a runner without the benefit of a hit as UNF committed a pair of errors in the inning that helped the runner to score.
The Ospreys responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Roberson singled up the middle and Sam Perry entered the game to run. Perry moved to second on a Hannon single to left center field. A sacrifice bunt by Smith moved both runners. Hale was intentionally walked to load the bases. Perry came around to score as Karmeris was hit by a pitch, trimming the Dukes lead to 7-6.
James Madison put the game out of reach with six runs in the top of the eighth inning. The Dukes scored six unearned runs on four hits and a pair of UNF errors. JMU scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to go ahead 14-6.
The Ospreys scored one run in the ninth inning courtesy of a Martin solo home run, but it would not be enough as UNF fell 14-7.
North Florida returns to action on Tuesday, March 16, as the Ospreys head to Troy, Ala. to take on the Troy Trojans in a two-game midweek series.
