Boxscore
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Trailing 4-3 heading into the bottom of the 11th, the University of North Florida baseball team scored two runs with two outs to defeat Bethune-Cookman by a score of 5-4 and pick up the 900th win in school history.
Trailing 4-3, sophomore Steve Hillan led off the inning with a slow-rolling single just past the pitcher's mound. Hillan moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by junior Michael Smith. With two outs, Hillan moved to third on a wild pitch by the Wildcats' pitcher. Senior Preston Hale walked to give UNF runners at the corners. Senior Justin Preckajlo tied the game as he singled to the shortstop, scoring Hillan from third. Senior David Eldredge delivered a two-out single through the left side of the infield. The left fielder threw home, but Hale successfully slid under the tag giving UNF the extra-inning victory.
“If you are going to your 900th win, that's the way to win it,” head coach Dusty Rhodes stated after the game. “We had to come from behind. They are a good team. It is a tough team to beat and we have been fortunate enough to beat them twice now. They are going to go the NCAA Regionals because they are the most dominating team in their conference.
“Nine-hundred wins is not for me, it's for the whole program. Nine-hundred wins at one school, that's a lot of wins. That's a lot of ballgames. It was important for this team to win the 900th game because they were here for the past four years and have not been able to go to postseason play. They are good players and good students. That 900th win was for the University of North Florida.”
Offensively, the Ospreys recorded 11 hits on the night. Preckajlo and Eldredge were the only two players to record multiple hits on the night. Preckajlo finished 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Eldredge was 2-for-5 with the game-winning RBI.
On the mound, UNF used six pitchers on the night. Robbie Collier got the start on the night. The junior worked 3.0 scoreless innings in his controlled start. Collier surrendered just one hit and one walk, while striking out a batter. The lefthander was effective, facing 11 batters on the night and throwing nine first-pitch strikes.
Junior Casey Medlen picked up his second win of the season, working 4.0 innings of relief. The hurler surrendered one run on four hits, walking one and striking out four.
Bethune-Cookman was the first team to score as the Wildcats plated a run in the top of the fourth inning. The leadoff batter of the inning was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A ground ball to third base recorded the first out of the inning, and saw the runner stay at second. A deep fly ball to center field accounted for the second out of the inning, but allowed the runner to advance to third. BCU scored the runner on a bloop single to shallow right center field.
The run in the top of the fourth inning broke a string of 22 consecutive scoreless innings of work by the UNF pitching staff.
The Wildcats increased their lead to 2-0 with a single run in the top of the fifth inning. Much like the fourth inning, the leadoff batter reached base, this time on a walk. Like the fourth, the runner advanced on a wild pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third base and another bloop single scored the runner from third.
BCU plated another run in the top of the sixth inning. The Wildcats led off the inning with back-to-back singles and a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position. Bethune-Cookman loaded the base with a walk. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Ospreys sacrificed a run to turn a double play. A ground ball to third base recorded the final out of the inning, but saw UNF trailing 3-0.
UNF knotted the score with a three-run seventh inning. Sam Perry reached base on fielding error by Bethune-Cookman. Smith walked to give UNF a pair of base runners. T.J. Gavlik singled to left field, loading the bases. A fielder's choice scored the first run of the night for the Ospreys and left UNF with runners on the corners. Preckajlo drove in Smith with an RBI single to left field. A ground out moved the runners and a second Bethune-Cookman error of the inning scored the tying run.
Neither team could score the final two innings and entered extra innings tied 3-3. In the 10th inning, neither team managed a run.
The Wildcats plated a run in the top of the 11th inning. With two outs, Bethune-Cookman used three consecutive singles to plate a run and take a 4-3 lead, setting up UNF's dramatic comeback in the bottom of the inning.
North Florida continues Atlantic Sun Conference play as the Ospreys travel north to Kennesaw, Ga. to face Kennesaw State in a three-game series. The Ospreys and Owls square off on Saturday and Sunday. The two teams meet up in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, and conclude the series with a single game on Sunday, April 18, at 1 p.m.
