Box Score (PDF)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Despite out-hitting No. 17 North Carolina, 7-5 the Ospreys were held scoreless as they dropped a 3-0 decision on the road this afternoon. North Florida falls to 4-4 on the season while the Tar Heels move to 5-3. .
For the second-straight game North Florida ran into a quality start by an opposing pitcher. North Carolina right-hander Trent Thornton pitched into the eighth inning and struck out six batters while walking none. The sophomore recorded his third win of the season in the longest outing of the year by a Tar Heel pitcher.
Junior
Drew Weeks highlighted the Osprey offense going 3-for-4 on the afternoon. He upped his average to .515 on the season and has a team-high 17 hits this year. A single to right in the fourth inning was the first of the game for UNF and it extended his hit streak to 16 that dates back to last season.
The Tar Heels broke the scoreless tie in a big way in the bottom of the second inning. Catcher Korey Dunbar blasted a two-run, home run over the left field wall to put North Carolina up, 2-0. The homer was the first of the sophomore's career.
North Carolina added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out, RBI single left by Michael Russell. It would have been a two-run RBI single if it wasn't for UNF left fielder
Garrick Ferguson. The junior fired a throw to home plate that cut down Landon Lassiter trying to score from second. It marked the third outfield assist from Ferguson this season.
UNF had opportunities in the bottom of top of the fourth, sixth and eighth against Thornton. The second-year righty worked out of two, one-out jams in the fifth and sixth to keep the Ospreys off the scoreboard. UNF had runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth but Thornton got help from reliever Chris McCue who struck out the final batter of the inning, ending the late Osprey rally.
McCue ran into some trouble in the ninth, surrendering a hit to Ferguson and issuing two, two-out walks to load the bases. The hard-throwing right-hander finally induced a game-ending ground out to earn his third save of 2014. In all, the Ospreys stranded 11 runners including eight in their final four turns at the plate.
David Trexler made his third start on the mound this season for the Ospreys. The senior threw six innings and struck out five batters in the loss. Junior
Jamie Cardwell came on to pitch the final two innings and held the Tar Heels hitless while striking out one.
Sophomore
Donnie Dewees was 1-for-4 with a single, extending his hitting streak to nine.
Nick Karmeris and
Patrick Ervin each had a hit in today's contest.
The Ospreys will be back on the field tomorrow afternoon for game two of the three-game series against the Tar Heels. Junior
Evan Incinelli (2-0) gets the start on the mound for the Ospreys and he will be opposed by North Carolina's Benton Moss (0-1). First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
Quick Hits
-First time the Ospreys have been shutout since April 19
th, 2013 against Kennesaw St. (27 games)
-
Drew Weeks leads the team with five multiple-hit games this season and racked up three hits in one game for the second time this season
-The Osprey bullpen has not allowed a run in the last eight innings of work.
-UNF is now 0-3 this season against ranked opponents (L, 8-7 at #20 Florida; L, 2-1 vs. #20 FAU)
-The Ospreys left a season-high 11 runners on base for the fourth time this season (1-3 in those games)
-Second loss this season for the Ospreys despite out-hitting opponent
