Boxscore Game 1
Boxscore Game 2

 

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The University of North Florida baseball team won its third Atlantic Sun Conference series of the season after splitting a doubleheader with East Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Park.  The Ospreys (16-14, 6-3 A-Sun) won the first game 8-4, but dropped a 20-19 slugfest to the Bucs (17-9, 6-3 A-Sun). 

 

Senior David Eldredge and sophomore Andrew Karmeris each finished the day 6-for-10.  Eldredge finished the second game of the day 5-for-5 with four runs scored and five RBI as the catcher recorded his first multi-home run game of his UNF career.  Karmeris finished the day with a pair of extra base hits, finishing with a home run and a double. 

 

Sophomore T.J. Gavlik, senior Justin Preckajlo and junior Michael Smith each had two doubles on the day as the Ospreys finished the doubleheader with 10 doubles. 

 

For the series, UNF pounded out 20 doubles in three games.  On the day, UNF outhit ETSU 38-to-29 with 13 extra base hits compared to 10 by the Bucs. 

 

In game one, starter Michael Smith picked up his third victory of the season.  The senior worked 6.2 innings, scattering five hits.  Smith allowed four runs with just three earned runs.  He allowed four walks, while fanning four batters. 

 

Casey Medlen picked up his second save of the season as he worked the final 2.1 innings.  The junior allowed no runs on just one hit, striking out two batters. 

 

In game two, UNF used seven pitchers in the game with starter Robbie Collier seeing the most time, going 3.2 innings.  Freshman Josh Patton took the loss in relief to fall to 0-1 on the season. 

 

Game 1 Recap

ETSU was the first team to score as the Bucs plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning.  A leadoff single coupled with a walk gave the hosts a pair of base runners.  A balk moved each runner up a base.  ETSU scored a pair of runs on a two-RBI double down the left field line.  Two ground outs moved the runner to third base and brought him around to score, giving the Bucs a 3-0 advantage. 

 

UNF tied the score with three runs in the top of the third inning.  With one out, Sam Perry collected the first hit of the day for the Ospreys, a double to right center field.  Gavlik followed with a walk to give UNF a pair of base runners.  Smith plated the first runner of the game with a double off of the center field wall to score Perry.  With runners on second and third, Hale scored Gavlik on an RBI ground out to short.  Karmeris doubled to center field to score Smith and knot the score at 3-3. 

 

The Ospreys took the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Eldredge singled to shallow center field to get things started for UNF.  Kyle Dahl followed with a single through the right side of the infield.  With two outs, Gavlik reached on a fielding error by the ETSU shortstop.  On the play, Eldredge scored to give the Ospreys their first lead of the game.  Smith dropped a ball just inside the left field line for his second double of the game.  Dahl and Gavlik scored on the Smith double to give UNF a 6-3 advantage. 

 

East Tennessee State loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, but only managed to come away with one run.  With two outs, an error loaded the bases and a walk scored the lead runner.  Medlen ended the threat fanning the only batter he faced in the inning tot get the Ospreys out of the jam. 

 

North Florida increased its lead to 8-4 with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning.  The Ospreys used three hits and an error to plate the two runs and give UNF a four-run cushion heading into the bottom of the ninth. 

 

The Ospreys did not allow a run in the bottom of the ninth to claim game one, 8-4.

 

Game 2 Recap

UNF jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first inning of game two.  With two outs and a runner on second base, Karmeris was hit by his team-leading ninth pitch of the season.  Preckajlo doubled down the left field line to score Hale from second base and give the Ospreys a quick 1-0 lead.  Eldredge walked to load the bases with two outs.  Corey Bass followed with a double off of the hill in right field, scoring Karmeris and Preckajlo.  Thompson delivered a two-RBI single to plate Eldredge and Bass and give UNF a 5-0 lead after a half and inning of play. 

 

The Ospreys added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to increase their lead to 7-0.  Smith led off the inning with a single to right field and moved to second on a wild pitch.  Gavlik singled to the pitcher to give UNF runners on the corners.  Hale reached base on a fielder's choice and Smith scored on the play.  With two outs, Preckajlo extended the inning with a single through the left side of the infield.  With a runner on first and second, Eldredge singled to left center to score Hale from second base. 

 

UNF added a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning.  The inning was highlighted by a solo home run by Karmeris.  The homer was his fifth of the season and the second of the series against ETSU. 

 

ETSU rallied in the bottom of the fourth inning with eight runs on seven hits.  The Bucs batted around in the inning, sending 14 batters to the plate.  All seven hits in the inning were singles, but came at pivotal times throughout the inning.  After retiring the first batter of the inning, the next four batters of the inning reached base.  The Ospreys got the second out of the inning, but the next seven batters of the inning reached base safely, before UNF was able to record the final out of the inning.  The eight-run inning tied the worst inning of the year for the Ospreys, which occurred against James Madison in the ninth inning on March 12, in a 22-19 UNF victory. 

 

North Florida scored a run in the top of the fifth inning to increase its lead back to two runs.  Gavlik doubled to right center field and Hale was intentionally walked to give UNF a pair of base runners.  Karmeris delivered an RBI single through the right side of the infield to give the Ospreys a 10-8 advantage. 

 

East Tennessee State took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with three runs.  The Bucs used four hits and a sacrifice fly to plate three runners and take the 11-10 lead. 

 

UNF regained the lead with four runs in the top of the sixth inning.  Eldredge and Bass led off the inning with back-to-back singles.  A fly ball to center field moved Eldredge to third base and left the Ospreys with runners on the corners.  A ground out moved Bass to second base and set the stage for Smith, who delivered a two-RBI single through the right side to give UNF the lead again.  Gavlik doubled down the left field line to give the Ospreys a pair of base runners in scoring position.  Hale singled to center field to score Smith and Gavlik and give North Florida a 14-11 lead. 

 

The lead was short lived for the Ospreys as ETSU scored five runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth to take a 16-14 lead.  The inning was capped off by a two-run home run by East Tennessee State when the game was tied. 

 

North Florida used four runs on four hits in the top of the seventh to regain the lead.  After a Preckajlo walk, Eldredge hit his first home run of the season to tie the game at 16-16.  Bass singled through the left side to continue the inning and came around to score on a Thompson double down the right field line.  Smith plated Thompson with a single off of the scoreboard in left field to give UNF an 18-16 lead. 

 

East Tennessee State regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning on one swing.  With two runners on and two out, ETSU used a three-run home run to take the lead, 19-18. 

 

ETSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to make the score 20-18 heading into the final inning. 

 

The two runs for the Bucs proved to be crucial as the Ospreys scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to cut the lead to 20-19.  Eldredge hit his second home run of the game to lead off the inning and cut the deficit to one run.  UNF put the tying run on second base but was unable to plate the runner as a double play ended the game. 

 

North Florida is set for a pair of midweek games against in-state rival Florida State.  The Ospreys and Seminoles do battle on Tuesday, April 6, at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville at 6 p.m.  The two teams meet up on Wednesday, April 7, in Tallahassee, Fla. for a game set for 6 p.m.