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ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball team improved to 10-3 overall on the season after a 9-5 victory on the road against UCF on Tuesday night at Jay Bergman Field in Orlando, Fla. The Ospreys thwarted a late rally by the Knights to improve to 3-0 on the road this year.
 
Offensively, the Ospreys scored nine runs on 17 hits, including six extra base hits. North Florida recorded three home runs on the day. Alex Bacon led all Osprey players, finishing the game 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, a run scored and four RBI. Drew Weeks and Tyler Marincov each added home runs in the game, going back-to-back in the top of the seventh inning. Joe Wielbruda and Corbin Olmstead each finished the game with three hits. Ryan Roberson and Olmstead also added doubles in the game.
 
North Florida also shined on the pitcher's mound. Starting pitcher Michael Renner tossed 7.0 scoreless innings. The senior allowed just four hits and two walks on the night, keeping the Knights off the scoreboard. He posted a season-best four strikeouts en route to his second victory of the season. Renner notched three 1-2-3 innings in his outing.
 
Kyle Westwood, Ryan McMahon and Olmstead combined for the final two innings. Westwood pitched 1.0 innings, allowing a pair of runs (one earned) on three hits with a strikeout. McMahon worked the next 0.2 innings surrendering three unearned runs on three hits with a K. Olmstead picked up his second save of the season striking out the final batter to secure the victory.
 
North Florida was the first team to score, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Wielbruda led off the game with a single up the middle. With two outs, Roberson doubled down the left field line to give the Ospreys a pair of runners in scoring position. Olmstead scored the runners with a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield.
 
The Ospreys increased their advantage to 4-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Donnie Dewees singled to left center field to start off the inning, extending his team-leading hitting streak to 11 games. Corey Bass laid down a bunt down the first base line. With the first baseman charging in on the bunt, Bass was able to reach base safely with no one covering first for an infield bunt single. After the Knights picked off a runner, Bacon homered to left field to push the lead to four runs.
 
Bacon's home run was the first of the season and the 16th of his career. Bacon moved to sole possession of fifth place in the Ospreys' Division I statistics for career home runs. He is four back of T.J. Thompson (2007-10) for forth (19).
 
North Florida added three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Wielbruda led off the inning with an infield single. He came around to score as Weeks hit a towering home run over the left field fence. Marincov, an Orlando native, followed with a home run to left center field.
 
It was the first back-to-back home runs since March 16, 2011 at UNC Wilmington. In the game with the Seahawks, Evan Stermer (2011-12) and Bacon went back-to-back, helping the Ospreys to an 11-7 victory.
 
The home run for Weeks was the second of the season and third of his career. For Marincov, his home run was the first of the season and the 15th of his career. Marincov moved into a tie for sixth place in UNF's Division I history for home runs with Sam Perry (2008-11).
 
UCF ended the shutout in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Knights led off the inning with a double down the left field line by pinch hitter Spencer Haynes. He came around to score on an RBI single by Erik Hempe. JoMarcos Woods continued the inning with an infield single up the middle. UCF loaded the bases thanks to an error by North Florida. Westwood used a strikeout for the first out of the inning. The Knights used a groundout to score the lead run, but the senior right-hander used a pop up to end the inning with the Ospreys leading 7-2.
 
The Ospreys answered with two runs in the top of the ninth inning. Olmstead led off the inning with a double and Bass followed with a one-out walk. The two base runners moved 90 feet closer to home on a wild pitch. Bacon cleared the bases with a two-RBI double down the left field line to push the lead back to seven runs at 9-2.
 
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Knights used some Osprey miscues to threaten with three runs. The inning began with a hit batter, but a strikeout recorded the first out of the inning. UCF used a single to give the home team a pair of base runners. With two outs, the game appeared to be over, but an error by North Florida extended the game, allowing a run to score. The next batter singled in two more runs to cut the deficit to 9-5. An infield single loaded the bases, but a strikeout ended the game.
 
North Florida returns to the diamond over the weekend with a three-game non-conference road series with the University of South Alabama. The Ospreys and Jaguars square off at Eddie Stanky Field beginning on Friday night. Live stats and in-game Tweets (@OspreyBSB) will be available throughout the weekend.