Boxscore

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball team pounded out 14 hits and relied on solid pitching to shutout Wagner, 12-0, on Tuesday night at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium. 

On the mound, North Florida recorded a season-best 14 strikeouts, as three pitchers combined for the third shutout of the season.  The Ospreys recorded strikeouts in eight of nine innings. 

Sophomore Tommy Organ made the most of his first collegiate start.  The southpaw worked a career-high 5.0 innings of work en route to his first victory of the season.  Organ struck out a career-best eight on the night, posting the most strikeouts by an Osprey pitcher in a game this season.  The sophomore started the game by striking out the side. 

Organ gave way to Robbie Collier in the sixth inning.  The senior worked the next two innings, fanning four batters and walking just one.  Evan Stermer finished the game for North Florida, pitching the final two innings.  He struck out two batters to confirm the shutout. 

Offensively, North Florida recorded 14 hits on the night, one shy of their season-high of 15.  UNF tied a season-best with 12 runs on the night.  The Ospreys had five extra base hits, including four doubles and a triple.  Four different North Florida players recorded multiple hits in the game. 

UNF was led by Alex Bacon and Corey Bass.  The duo each went 3-for-5.  Bacon finished the night with a pair of doubles, a run scored and two RBI.  Bass had three singles, driving in three RBI and scoring a run.  Alex Hernandez, Andrew Karmeris and Stermer each scored a pair of runs on the night, while Stermer drove in three RBI. 

North Florida jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back.  The Ospreys started the game with back-to-back singles by Hernandez and Michael Smith.  A wild pitch moved both runners up a base.  Andrew Karmeris was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Stermer plated the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly.  Tyler Marincov was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for the second time in the inning.  Bacon followed with a two-RBI double to left center field.  Shane Kennedy delivered an RBI groundout for the final run of the inning. 

The Ospreys added three runs in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a pair of doubles by Stermer and Marincov.  Leading 7-0, UNF increased its lead to double digits in the bottom of the third inning.  Kennedy led off the inning with a triple, scoring on a Bass RBI single.  Three more base hits and a sacrifice fly scored two more runs, giving UNF a 10-0 lead after three innings. 

UNF added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and eighth innings.  In the sixth, a walk, single and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Ospreys and a Bass singled to left field to score Stermer from third.  In the eighth, Bacon led off the inning with a double down the left field line and came around to score on a Bass single up the middle. 

North Florida and Wagner will play again on Wednesday, March 9, at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium.  Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. Wednesday's game is “PJ's in the Park.”  PJ's in the Park is you're opportunity to wear your favorite PJs out to support the UNF baseball team.  There will be a $50 Visa gift card given away to the fan with the best PJ's in the Park outfit.