Boxscore
 
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Relief pitcher Jamie Cardwell was called in to pinch hit in the bottom of the 13th inning as the University of North Florida baseball team was out of position players and the sophomore pitcher lifted the Ospreys to an 8-7 victory over Northern Kentucky with a RBI single on Saturday afternoon at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium. The win clinches the series for the Ospreys, who have now won four straight Atlantic Sun Conference series.
 
North Florida trailed 7-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning and rallied to tie the game and force extra innings. Nick Karmeris led off the inning with a pinch hit walk and Kyle Brooks was hit by a pitch to give the Ospreys a pair of base runners with no outs. The two runners advanced on a groundout. Joe Wielbruda drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI single, leaving UNF with runners on the corners. With two outs, Wielbruda stole second base to move into scoring position. Tyler Marincov tied the game with a two-RBI single through the left side of the infield.
 
The game remained tied until the bottom of the 13th. Wielbruda led off the inning with a single through the left side. He moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Paul Karmeris. Marincov was intentionally walked to set up a force out. With two outs, Cardwell pinch hit and ended the game with an RBI single to left center field.
 
North Florida improved to 26-11 overall and 8-3 in the A-Sun, while Northern Kentucky fell to 6-29 and 1-10 in the league. The win clinched the series for the Ospreys and improved UNF to 3-3 in extra-inning games this season.
 
Offensively, the Ospreys finished the game with 12 hits with a pair of home runs by P. Karmeris and Ryan Roberson. Marincov and Wielbruda each finished the game with a pair of hits each. Wielbruda led the team with three runs scored, including the game-winning run, while Roberson also added a pair of runs scored. P. Karmeris and Marincov paced the team with two RBI apiece.
 
On the mound, David Trexler earned the victory in relief. The junior allowed one hit and a walk in 1.0 scoreless innings of relief for his third win of the season.
 
Nick Allbritton started the game for the Ospreys. The senior surrendered four runs on six hits and a walk in 5.1 innings of work. He recorded a pair of 1-2-3 innings and struck out four batters. He gave way to Corbin Olmstead, who allowed three runs on five hits and a walk in 3.2 innings of relief. Olmstead had five strikeouts in his outing. Spencer Herrmann earned a no decision, as the sophomore kept the Ospreys in the game with 3.0 scoreless innings of relief.
 
Northern Kentucky was the first team to score, plating a run in the first inning. The leadoff batter Conor Ledger started the game with a double to right center field. He moved to third base on the first of six sacrifice bunts in the game by the Norse. Ledger came in to score on a RBI single to center field. The Ospreys ended the inning with a pop up and line drive, but trailed 1-0 after a half inning of play.
 
North Florida responded in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Roberson tied the game on one swing. The junior hit his third home run of the series and his fifth home run of the season to knot the game at 1-1.
 
The Ospreys increased their lead to 3-1 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, Wielbruda reached base on a fielding error by Northern Kentucky. P. Karmeris gave North Florida the lead with a two-run homer to left field – his third of the season. Through two innings, the Ospreys had three runs on two hits with both hits going over the outfield fence.
 
The Norse responded with three runs in the top of the fourth inning to regain the lead. With one out, NKU placed a runner on second base after a double down the right field line. A four-pitch walk and a hit batter loaded the bases for Northern Kentucky with just one out. NKU's Pat Hyde doubled to right center field, clearing the bases and giving the visitors a 4-3 advantage.
 
North Florida tied the game with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Roberson drew a walk to give the Ospreys a base runner. He advanced to second on a groundout and moved to third on a wild pitch. Olmstead drove home Roberson with a RBI single to third base, tying the game at 4-4.
 
Northern Kentucky once again took the lead in the top of the eighth inning. With one out, the Norse used a walk and a single to place two runners on base. Hyde came through for NKU with a three-run home run to put the Norse ahead 7-4. The home run was Hyde's first of the season and just the seventh of the season for Northern Kentucky.
 
The Ospreys were unable to score in the bottom of the eighth inning and were able to keep the Norse off of the scoreboard in the top of the ninth, setting up UNF's dramatic three-run ninth inning to force extra innings.
 
Both teams had opportunities in the extra frames. The Ospreys hit into two inning-ending double plays in extra innings and were able to escape an inning by turning a double play of their own. North Florida's defense and pitching was able to keep Northern Kentucky off of the scoreboard in the four extra-inning frames until the Ospreys were able to break the tie with Cardwell's game-winning single.
 
North Florida and Northern Kentucky conclude the series on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. (NOTE: Game moved up one hour due to impending weather and NKU travel plans.) Live stats, live audio, live video and in-game tweets (@OspreyBSB) will be available throughout the game. The game can be heard on 1010XL with the Voice of the Ospreys Robert Harper (@UNFVoice) calling the play-by-play action.