Baseball Comes from Behind to Win Season Opener

Friday, February 14

Jacksonville, Fla.

3 p.m.

University of North Florida

Liberty

2/14/2014 7:01:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball team (1-0) opened its season up with an 11-4 victory over Liberty University (0-1) at home this afternoon. The Ospreys combined for 10 runs in the third and eighth innings alone en route to the season-opening win.

The first four batters in today's lineup for the Ospreys combined for nine of the team's 13 hits. Junior transfer Trent Higginbothem had a game-high three hits, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Sophomore Donnie Dewees was 2-for-5 on the afternoon with a triple and four RBIs.

The final score was not reflective of the back and forth battle early on in the contest. Only three batters into the game, Liberty found themselves up, 2-0 thanks in part to a two-run home run by Danny Grauer. The Ospreys responded with a long ball of their own in the bottom of the second inning off the bat of Alex Bacon. The UNF centerfielder took the first pitch he saw on the season over the left field wall to make the score 2-1.

The Flames loaded the bases in the top of the third with no outs but managed only two runs on an infield hit by Alex Close and a sacrifice fly by Dalton Britt. Osprey starter Tyler Moore, battled over four innings, allowing four runs and striking out four in his season debut.

The Ospreys exploded for six runs in the bottom half of the third inning to take their first lead of the game and never looked back. Liberty committed three errors in the frame that led to three unearned runs. Dewees got the big inning started with an RBI double to left center field that scored Kyle Brooks. With Higginbothem at the plate, the Ospreys managed to score two runs on a wild pitch by Flames starter Trey Lembert, making the score 5-4. A run off an error by the third baseman, followed by a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by freshman Patrick Ervin put the Ospreys up 7-4.

Pitching took over from that point forward. Moore yielded to Dan VanSickle in the fifth inning and the junior was lights out in his Osprey debut. He tossed one-hit baseball over the next four innings to earn his first victory in a UNF uniform. The right-hander allowed only three baserunners in four innings.

Dewees blew the game open in the bottom of the eighth inning when he came up with the bases loaded and two outs. The Preseason All-Atlantic Sun selection ripped a pitch down the right field line and legged out a triple to put the Ospreys up 10-4. Higginbothem followed with his third hit of the day, scoring Dewees and giving the home team a commanding, 11-4 advantage.

Brooks and Drew Weeks both finished the day with two hits and two runs scored to round out the Ospreys 1-4 hitters. In his first collegiate game, freshman Alex Merritt went 2-for-4 before being removed for a pinch runner in the eighth inning.

Playing each other for the first time since 2011, UNF evened the all-time series with Liberty, 3-3. The Flames are one of six, 2013 NCAA Tournament teams that the Ospreys will play this season.

UNF will be back in action tomorrow evening when they take on the University of Richmond at 6:00 p.m. The game will be the nightcap of a tripleheader at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium as part of the 2014 UNF Best Bet Classic. Liberty will take on South Florida at noon tomorrow while Richmond will play the second game of the day against USF at 3:00 p.m.