Boxscore
 
MACON, Ga. – The University of North Florida baseball team responded every time Mercer scored and ultimately edged out the Bears, 5-4, on Friday night at Claude Smith Field, claiming the opening game of a pivotal three-game Atlantic Sun Conference Series.
 
The win improves North Florida to 29-21 overall and ties the Ospreys with Mercer at 10-12 in A-Sun play. The Ospreys and Bears are battling for one of the six spots in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament in DeLand, Fla. at the end of the month.
 
Both teams finished the game with 11 hits apiece on the night, but North Florida was aided by the long ball. Andrew Karmeris belted a pair of home runs in the game to help lead the Ospreys. A. Karmeris finished the night 2-for-3 with three runs scored, three RBI, an intentional walk and two home runs. The home runs were the sixth and seventh of the season for A. Karmeris and gave the senior 30 for his career. A. Karmeris is now tied for fourth all-time with Kevin Jackson (1998-99) and Todd Dunn (1991-93) in the UNF record books. A. Karmeris holds the top spot for most career home runs in the Ospreys' Division I records. The game marked the first time in his career that A. Karmeris had two home runs in a game.
 
Tyler Marincov and Ryan Roberson each added two hits apiece on the night with Marincov and Garrick Ferguson scoring the other two runs. Paul Karmeris drove in the Ospreys' only other RBI on the night.
 
On the mound, the Ospreys received a solid performance from starter Michael Renner. The junior earned a no decision, pitching 7.1 innings. Renner was charged with four runs on 11 total hits. The southpaw walked just one batter and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts. Renner had nine strikeouts earlier this season in 6.1 innings of work in his first victory as an Osprey at Jacksonville State on Feb. 24.
 
Chandler Jagodzinski, Evan Stermer and Nick Allbritton combined to work the final 1.2 scoreless innings. Jagodzinski picked up his third victory of the season in a relief effort. The senior did not allow a hit or a walk, while striking out one. Stermer tossed 0.1 innings. He induced a ground ball with a pair of walks, including an intentional walk. Allbritton earned his first save in an UNF uniform, striking out the only batter he faced to secure the win.
 
Mercer was the first team to score, plating a run in the bottom of the first inning. The Bears used a one-out single and a walk to place a pair of runners on base. A second single in the inning loaded the bases. Mercer used a sacrifice fly to score the lead runner and take an early 1-0 advantage. Renner closed the door on the inning with his first strikeout of the game.
 
North Florida responded in the top of the second inning. A. Karmeris led off the inning with his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot to left field. The solo homer knotted the score at 1-1 as the Ospreys were unable to score any additional runs in the inning.
 
The Bears regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning. The leadoff batter singled up the middle to start the inning, but Renner caught the next batter swinging for the first out. Back-to-back singles loaded up the bases for the home team. A second sacrifice fly of the game put the hosts in front 2-1. With two outs, Mercer used a single to right center to score a run. The next batter singled to right field, but Marincov gunned down the lead runner at the plate trying to score from second base to end the inning.
 
The Ospreys responded in the top of the fourth inning thanks to A. Karmeris' second home run of the game. Marincov reached base on an infield single to the shortstop. A. Karmeris went opposite field with a two-run homer to right center field to knot the score at 3-3.
 
Neither team was able to score until the eighth inning. Renner worked out of a jam in the sixth inning. Mercer's Logan Gaines led off the inning with a triple off the center field wall, but Renner struck out the next three batters to keep the Bears off the scoreboard.
 
In the top of the eighth inning, the Bears once again regained the lead. Austin Barrett led off the inning with a double to left field. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. After a pitching change, Barrett came around to score on the third sacrifice fly of the night for Mercer. Jagodzinski closed out the inning with a strikeout, keeping the game 4-3.
 
The Ospreys took their first lead of the night in the top of the ninth inning. Roberson led off the ninth with a single through the left side of the infield. Garrick Ferguson pinch ran for Roberson at first base. Marincov singled to shallow center field just out of reach of a diving outfielder. After a pitching change, A. Karmeris reached base on a fielder's choice. The Bears fielded A. Karmeris' chopper back to the pitcher and went to second base with the throw to try to double up the Ospreys. Marincov slid into second and broke up the potential double play, causing the throw to first to be off the mark. On the play, Ferguson alertly advanced from third to home to score the game-tying run. Alex Bacon was hit by a pitch to continue the inning and move A. Karmeris into scoring position. The Bears went to the bullpen to bring in their closer. With two outs, P. Karmeris scored his brother from second base with a go-ahead RBI single through the left side of the infield.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, the Ospreys recorded two quick ground outs to Joe Wielbruda at second base. The Bears placed a runner on first with a walk. The Ospreys attempted to pick the runner off at first and were called with a balk, advancing the tying run to scoring position. Head coach Smoke Laval left the dugout to discuss the call and make a pitching change. After was seemed to be a pitching and defensive change, the umpires made Laval put Stermer back on the mound. The Ospreys intentionally walked the batter at the plate and then made the pitching and defensive change. Allbritton closed out the game for the Ospreys on four pitches, striking out the only batter he faced for his first save of the season.
 
North Florida and Mercer continue the three-game tilt with a night game at 6:00 p.m. at Claude Smith Field. Live stats and in-game Tweets (@UNFOspreys) will be available for the game.