Baseball Drops Series Opener, 4-2

Friday, April 1

Nashville, Tenn.

7 p.m.

University of North Florida

14-13, 6-7

Lipscomb

11-15, 3-4

North Florida

Lipscomb

Photo by: Michelle Bronner

4/1/2011 9:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: UNF Athletics

Boxscore

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of North Florida baseball team dropped the opening game of a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference series, falling on the road to Lipscomb, 4-2, at Ken Dugan Field in Nashville, Tenn. on Friday night.

The Ospreys fell to 14-13 overall and 6-7 in the Atlantic Sun, while Lipscomb improved to 11-15 overall and 3-4 in the conference.

Offensively, UNF generated just six hits on the night with a pair of home runs. Freshman Alex Bacon hit his sixth home run of the season, while fellow freshman Shane Kennedy hit an inside the park home run for his first collegiate home run.

Sam Perry added a pair of base hits, while Andrew Karmeris and Alex Hernandez each had a base hit.

On the mound, Robbie Collier started the game for the Ospreys. The senior went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked just two while tying a career-high with eight strikeouts. Collier had at lease one strikeout in five of the six innings he tossed.

Marshal Rosenberger was the second pitcher of the day for North Florida. The right hander entered the game with a pair of base runners on base, but used a ground out and a strikeout to prevent the runners from scoring. Rosenberger finished the game with 1.1 innings pitch. He surrendered one run on two hits with no walks and a strikeout.

Chandler Jagodzinski was the final pitcher of the game for the Ospreys. He worked the final 1.1 innings or work. He allowed no runs on no hits with one walk and a pair of strikeouts.

Lipscomb threatened in the bottom of the first inning. A leadoff single started things off for the Bisons. The runner stole second to move into scoring position. A strikeout recorded the first out of the inning. A groundout moved the runner to within 90 feet at home, but a strikeout ended the inning, leaving the runner stranded.

North Florida had a chance to take the lead in the top of the second inning. Karmeris led off the inning with a walk. He moved to third base on a failed pickoff attempt by the Bisons, but would advance no further as a fly ball to right field ended the inning.

In the second inning for the Bisons, Collier opened the inning with a pair of strikeouts, but surrendered a pair of walks to give the hosts a pair of base runners including a runner in scoring position. Collier escaped the inning with his third strikeout of the inning, leaving the score at 0-0.

Lipscomb was the first team to score, plating three runs in the bottom of the third. The Bisons' M.L. Williams lifted a pitch over the right field wall to put the home team in front 1-0. The next batter was hit by a pitch and a single to center field gave Lipscomb a pair of base runners. A double play recorded the first two outs of the inning and left the lead runner on third base. Lipscomb's Josh Chism gave the Bisons a 3-0 lead with a two-run home run to left field. The Ospreys escaped the inning with a strikeout to end the inning.

North Florida got a run back in the top of the fourth inning. Bacon hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season, a solo home run to left field to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Ospreys used a solo home run by Kennedy to trim the margin to just one. Kennedy hit a ball to straight away center field that hit off of the center field wall. The freshman legged out the inside the park home run for his first collegiate home run, cutting Lipscomb's lead to just one run at 3-2.

The Bisons added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning. A one-out single got things started for the home team. A fly ball recorded the second out of the inning, but a balk moved the runner into scoring position. The runner came around to score on a two-out double to left center field, putting the hosts in front 4-2.

North Florida and Lipscomb will continue the series tomorrow with a single game. The game time has changed to 5:00 p.m. (ET).