Boxscore
 
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Trailing 3-2 in the fourth inning, the University of North Florida baseball team used a two-run home run by Corey Bass to take a 4-3 lead that the Ospreys would not surrender as North Florida opened a three-game nonconference series with a 7-5 victory over Lafayette on Friday night at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium.
 
The Ospreys fell behind 2-0 in the first inning on a pair of unearned runs. North Florida tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning. Lafayette responded with a home run to lead off the fourth inning, but North Florida countered with a two-run home run by Bass in the bottom of the inning. The Ospreys added runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth to lead 7-3. In the final inning, the Leopards tried to mount a comeback, but were only able to score a pair of runs as UNF closed out the game with a strikeout.
 
Offensively, North Florida recorded 16 hits on the night, marking the 12th time this season the Ospreys have notched double digit hits in a game. Five different UNF players had multiple hits in the game led by Kyle Brooks and Joe Wielbruda who each had three hits apiece. Bass, Donnie Dewees and Corbin Olmstead each had two hits each. Olmstead recorded a double, while Bass registered his first home run of the season. Bass and Olmstead led the team with two RBI apiece.
 
On the mound, starter Tommy Organ earned his second victory of the season. The senior scattered nine hits in 5.0 innings of work. The southpaw allowed three runs with just one earned run. Organ walked a batter and struck out two. He gave way to David Trexler in the sixth inning. Trexler closed out the final 4.0 innings, earning his first save in an Osprey uniform. He surrendered two runs on four hits. The junior college transfer did not allow a walk and struck out three, including back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
 
Lafayette was the first team to score, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. The Leopards used a single and a fielder's choice to place a runner on first base with one out. A single up the middle gave the visitors a pair of base runners. Lafayette used a fielding error by North Florida to load the bases. The Leopards used a sacrifice fly to right field to score the first run of the game. With runners on first and second and one out, LC scored the second run of the inning on a double to right field. The trail runner tried to score from first, but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
 
Trailing 2-0, North Florida tied the game with a two-run third inning. Wielbruda led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield. He advanced to second on a groundout. Tyler Marincov followed with an RBI single to right center field. On the play, the right fielder mishandled the ball, allowing Marincov to advance to third base on the error. Olmstead tied the game with an RBI double to left center field.
 
The Leopards regained the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Lafayette's Parker Hills hit a leadoff home run to left field to put the Leopards in front 3-2. LC used a pair of one-out singles to threaten with runners on the corners, but the Ospreys escaped the inning with a double play.
 
The Ospreys responded in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Brooks singled to the shortstop to put a runner on base. Bass followed with a home run off of the scoreboard in left field. The home run was the first of the season and fifth of Bass' career. The two-run shot gave UNF its first lead of the game – a lead the Ospreys would not relinquish.
 
North Florida added runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings. In the fifth, Paul Karmeris bunted for a base hit and stole second to move into scoring position. A fly ball advanced him to third base and a RBI single by Peyton Walsh scored P. Karmeris from third. In the seventh, Walsh reached base on a fielder's choice. He proceeded to steal second and come home to score on an RBI single by Brooks. The final run of the game for the Ospreys came in the eighth inning. Dewees single with one out and moved to second on a groundout. He came around to score on a RBI single by Olmstead, giving UNF a 7-3 advantage.
 
Lafayette attempted a comeback in the top of the ninth inning. The Leopards used back-to-back singles to start the final inning. The two base runners moved 90 feet closer to home on a wild pitch by the Ospreys. The first run of the inning came on an RBI ground. Lafayette used a third single to score a second run, but the Leopards would get no closer as Trexler used back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and preserve the victory.
 
North Florida and Lafayette continue the three-game series with a single game on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at Harmon Stadium. The two teams conclude the series with a game on Sunday. Sunday's game time was changed to 12:00 p.m. Live stats, ASun.TV and in-game tweets (@OspreyBSB) will be available for each game.