University of North Florida
28-21, 13-8
Stetson
25-26, 12-10
UNF Sweeps Stetson in Doubleheader
5/15/2010 8:21:00 PM | Baseball
Boxscore - Game 1
Boxscore - Game 2
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball team swept a doubleheader against in-state and conference rival Stetson on Saturday afternoon at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium. The Ospreys (29-21, 14-8 Atlantic Sun) dominated the first game 17-0 in run-rule fashion, before coming away with a 6-1 victory in game two against the Hatters (25-27, 12-11 A-Sun).
On the day, the Ospreys were led by David Eldredge. The senior finished the day 5-for-8 (.625) with three doubles, four runs scored and five RBI. He boasted a team-high 1.000 slugging percentage and finished the day with a .667 on-base percentage.
Andrew Karmeris finished the day with five hits, including a home run. Michael Smith and T.J. Thompson each had four hits on the day. Smith scored four runs, while Thompson drove in four runs and belted a home run.
On the mound, the Ospreys received a pair of complete game performances.
George Lott scattered five hits without allowing an extra base hit over 7.0 innings of work. He did not allow a run, picking up his first complete game shutout of the season. In addition to not allowing a run, Lott did not allow a walk and recorded six strikeouts in the game.
Michael Kelly was also impressive in his start. The senior allowed a run in the first inning and then held the Hatters scoreless over the next eight innings. The complete game was the third of the season for Kelly. He scattered seven hits over nine innings allowing just one walk. The southpaw fanned a career-high 10 batters, topping his previous high of nine set on March 5 against James Madison.
GAME 1 RECAP
The Ospreys dominated the first game, winning the game in run-rule fashion. All nine batters in the starting lineup for UNF recorded a hit with five batters finishing the game with three or more hits each.
Eldredge and Smith led the Ospreys with four hits apiece, while T.J. Gavlik, Karmeris and Thompson each had three hits. Eldredge, Gavlik and Smith all had a double, while senior Justin Preckajlo added a triple. Karmeris belted his 10th home run of the season, making him the third UNF player this year with double digit home runs.
The Ospreys scored a pair of runs in the second inning. Smith was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Eldredge followed with a single through the right side of the infield. Thompson singled to left field to load the bases. A fielder's choice plated the first run of the game and left UNF with runners on the corners. Sam Perry followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to give North Florida a 2-0 advantage after two innings of play.
The two runs would prove to be enough with Lott tossing the complete game shutout, but the Ospreys added 15 insurance runs over the next four innings.
UNF score five runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings.
In the third inning, the Ospreys recorded seven hits, including six consecutive hits to score five runs. Preckajlo started things off with a triple. RBI hits by Preston Hale, Smith, Eldredge and Thompson, along with a sacrifice fly by Perry scored the five runs for the Ospreys.
In the fourth inning, UNF scored five more runs as the team batted around for the second time in the game. Karmeris' home run and a three-RBI double by Gavlik highlighted the five-run inning.
Leading 12-0, North Florida added five more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. For the third time in the game, the Ospreys batted around, sending 11 batters to the plate. UNF scored five runs in the inning on an RBI walk by Hale, a two-run single by Karmeris, a fielder's choice and an RBI single by Thompson.
GAME 2 RECAP
In the second game, the Ospreys fell behind 1-0 in the first inning. A leadoff single and a stolen base gave the Hatters a runner in scoring position with no outs. A ground out advanced the runner to third base and a sacrifice fly scored the first run of the day for Stetson. A strikeout ended the inning, but saw UNF behind 1-0.
North Florida was unable to score a run until the bottom of the sixth inning. Hale tied the score with one swing as the senior hit his ninth home run of the season. The solo home run to straight away center field knotted the score at 1-1.
UNF took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Eldredge walked to lead off the inning. Eldredge did not stay on first base very long as Thompson hit a two-run home run to right field to put the Ospreys ahead 3-1. The two-run homer was Thompson's 11th home run of the season.
The Ospreys added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to increase their advantage to 6-1. Preckajlo singled to start off the inning and with one out Karmeris singled to give UNF a pair of base runners. A fielding error loaded the bases for North Florida. With the bases loaded and one out, Eldredge delivered a three-run double to right center field to provide the final margin of victory for North Florida.
North Florida and Stetson will conclude the three-game series with a single game on Sunday, May 16. The game will be final home game for Hall of Fame head coach Dusty Rhodes, as well as, the 11 seniors on the UNF roster. The game is slated for 1 p.m., but the pregame festivities are set to begin at 12:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lott, George (6-2)
L: deGROM, Jacob (4-4)
Base Running:
PO: SIMPSON, Jeff 1
Batting:
2B: Gavlik, T.J. 1 ; Smith, Michael 1 ; Eldredge, David 2
3B: Preckajlo, Justin 1
HR: Karmeris, Andrew 1
RBI: Gavlik, T.J. 3 ; Hale, Preston 2 ; Karmeris, Andrew 3 ; Smith, Michael 1 ; Eldredge, David 2 ; Thompson, TJ 2 ; Hannon, Andrew 2 ; Perry, Sam 2
SF: Perry, Sam 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Gavlik, T.J. 1 ; Preckajlo, Justin 1 ; Hale, Preston 2 ; Karmeris, Andrew 3 ; Smith, Michael 3 ; Eldredge, David 3 ; Thompson, TJ 1 ; Hannon, Andrew 2 ; Perry, Sam 1
HBP: Smith, Michael 1 ; Hannon, Andrew 1
