Boxscore
TAMPA, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball used 18 hits and solid performances on the mound to claim a 9-1 victory over in-state rival South Florida on Wednesday night in Tampa at the USF Baseball Stadium.
On the mound, a trio of Ospreys pitchers combined to allow one run on six hits. The UNF pitching staff struck out five batters, while only walking two.
Starter
Kyle Westwood earned his first victory of the season. The junior tossed 6.0 innings, scattering four hits. Westwood allowed just one run on the night. He walked two while striking out three.
Chandler Jagodzinski entered the game in the seventh inning and pitched two scoreless innings. He allowed just a pair of hits, while striking out one.
Andrew Karmeris picked a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout.
Offensively, the Ospreys pounded out 18 hits on the night with six different UNF players recording multiple hits. Junior
Paul Karmeris finished the game with a pair of hits, including a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning. His first home run as an Osprey proved to be the game-winner as the UNF defense prevented USF from plating more than one run.
Newcomers
Joe Wielbruda and
Drew Weeks each had four hits apiece in the game. Weeks finished the game 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Wielbruda was 4-for-6 with a pair of RBI.
The Ospreys worked out of a jam in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, the Bulls placed a runner on second base thanks to a two-base fielding error by UNF. Westwood was able to leave the runner stranded on second with a strikeout and an inning-ending groundout.
North Florida threatened in the top of the third inning. With two outs,
Corey Bass drew a four-pitch walk to start things off. He moved to second on a
Joe Wielbruda single up the middle. A. Karmeris loaded the bases with the second walk of the inning. USF escaped the inning as a ground ball to third ended the threat.
UNF broke the scoreless tie with four runs in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Weeks was hit by a pitch. P. Karmeris fell behind 0-2 in the count, but hit the next pitch he saw over the left field wall for his first home run in an Ospreys uniform.
Joe Iorio reached base on an error to continue the inning. Bass singled through the left side of the infield to give North Florida a pair of base runners. With two on and one out, Wielbruda singled deep in the hole, beating out the throw from the shortstop. On the play, Iorio came around to score, pushing the UNF lead to 3-0. After a pitching change, the Ospreys scored the final run of the inning as A. Karmeris reached base on a fielding error by USF.
USF got a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs, a single and a walk gave the Bulls a pair of base runners. A wild pitch moved the runners 90 feet closer to home. A single up the middle scored the lead runner, but the second runner was held up. That proved beneficial for the Ospreys as a fielder's choice ground out ended the inning with North Florida in front 4-1.
The Bulls threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning. With a runner on second and two outs,
Alex Bacon made a sliding catch at the wall right center field to end the inning and halt the USF rally.
The Ospreys added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Tyler Marincov led off the inning with a single down the left field line. Marincov advanced to second on a ground out. With one out and a runner on second, Weeks singled up the middle to drive home the first run of the inning. P. Karmeris followed with an RBI single to drive home Weeks and extend the North Florida lead to 6-1.
UNF added a few insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Ospreys recorded four hits in the inning, highlighted by a
Michael Wesner double to right field. UNF was also aided in the inning by an error by USF.
North Florida returns to action on Friday, Feb. 24, as they Ospreys open a three-game series with Jacksonville State in Jacksonville, Ala. First pitch for Friday's game is slated for 4:00 p.m. (ET).
