NEW ORLEANS, La. – The University of North Florida baseball team claimed its final weekend series of the year with a 12-7 victory over the University of New Orleans on Friday afternoon at Maestri Field.
The win improves the Ospreys to 27-26 overall, while the loss drops the Privateers to 3-50. UNO becomes just the ninth team in NCAA Division I history to have 50 losses in a season.
Offensively for UNF, eight of the nine starters in the game recorded at least one hit. Seven different Osprey batters recorded multiple hits in the game, led by senior Sam Perry, who finished the game 3-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored and a team-high four RBI. T.J. Gavlik finished the game with two runs scored and a pair of hits, including a double and a triple, while Shane Kennedy added a pair of doubles. Corey Bass had a double and scored a pair of runs in the game. Alex Hernandez added a pair of runs scored while Michael Wesner drove in three runs.
On the mound, starting pitcher Tyler Moore earned a no decision in his sixth start of the season. The true freshman worked 4.2 innings, scattering five hits. Moore surrendered seven runs with just five earned runs. The hurler fanned six batters, but was hurt by six walks.
Chandler Jagodzinski picked up the win in relief. The transfer tossed 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit. He did not walk a batter and struck out three. Joe Iorio pitched the final inning of the game without allowing a hit. He walked two while striking out one.
North Florida was the first team to score, scratching the scoreboard in the top of the second inning without the benefit of a hit. With one out, Bass fell behind in the count 0-2, but worked the count full before earning a walk. The sophomore proceeded to steal second and third to move 90 feet from home. Wesner recorded an RBI groundout to put the Ospreys ahead 1-0 early in the game.
The Ospreys added a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Evan Stermer walked with one out to get things started for the Ospreys. He moved to second on a Bass single to shallow left field. On the play, the ball was mishandled by the UNO left fielder, allowing both runners to move into scoring position. Wesner plated Stermer with his second RBI groundout of the game. Alex Hernandez continued the inning by reaching base on a throwing error by the Privateers that allowed Bass to score from third and give UNF a 3-0 advantage.
The Privateers answered with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead. Walks hurt the Ospreys in the inning as the UNF pitching staff walked four batters in the inning, including walking in a pair of runs. The biggest play of the inning was a single with the bases loaded that was combined with an error to clear the bases and leave a runner on third base. The runner on third came around to score on a wild pitch to put the home team in front 6-3.
UNF tied the score with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Perry led off the inning with a single to left field. With one out, Alex Bacon doubled down the left field line to give the Ospreys a pair of runners in scoring position. Andrew Karmeris drove home the two runs with a two-RBI single up the middle. Stermer continued the inning with a walk. With runners on first and second and two outs, Wesner delivered an RBI single through the right side of the infield to tie the score. On the play, the right fielder was able to record the final out of the inning by throwing out Stermer at the plate.
UNO regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Privateers' Michael Tedesco hit a solo home run to left field to give the hosts a 7-6 edge.
North Florida took the lead once again in the top of the sixth inning. Gavlik led off the inning with a double to left field. Perry followed with a two-run home run over the scoreboard in left center field. The home run was Perry's eighth of the season and gave the Ospreys an 8-7 lead after five and a half innings of play.
The Ospreys added a run to increase their lead to a pair in the top of the seventh inning. Hernandez led off the inning with a single up the middle. Gavlik moved the runner over with a sacrifice bunt. Hernandez moved 90 feet closer to home on a ground out. Kennedy drove home the run with an RBI double down the left field line.
UNF added some insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning. Hernandez led off the inning with a walk and came around to score on a triple by Gavlik. Perry hit his second home run of the game to put the Ospreys in front 12-7, a lead UNF would not relinquish.
North Florida and New Orleans conclude the three-game tilt with a single game on Saturday, May 21, at Maestri Field on the campus of UNO.
