Spartans Come From Behind to Take A-Sun Opener

Friday, March 14

Jacksonville, Fla.

6 p.m.

University of North Florida

7-9, 0-1

USC Upstate

9-11, 1-0

S.C. Upstate

North Florida

3/14/2014 9:38:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of South Carolina Upstate (9-11, 1-0 Atlantic Sun) came away with a 3-2 victory this evening over North Florida Baseball in the opening game of Atlantic Sun play for both teams. The Spartans scored two runs in the top of the seventh to clinch the series-opening win.

The loss drops the Ospreys to 7-9 on the season and 0-1 against Atlantic Sun opponents. Drew Weeks supplied the offense for North Florida in the bottom of the first inning. The junior belted a two-run home run that scored Kyle Brooks to give the Ospreys the initial 2-0 lead. Weeks tallied his second home run of the spring, and extended his hitting streak to 24 games.

From that point forward Upstate starting pitcher Zac Manuppelli kept the Osprey bats in check. After the shaky first inning that yielded two runs and three Osprey hits, the freshman right-hander went on to pitch six scoreless innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out three en route to his third win of the season.

The knockout blow from the Spartans came off the bat of Zach Krider in the top of the seventh. Reliever Dan VanSickle issued two walks in the frame, including a two-out free pass to Brian Thompson that loaded the bases. Krider stepped in and smacked a perfectly placed ball through the left side that scored the tying and go-ahead runs.

Manuppelli and reliever Richie Lacell worked themselves out of Osprey threats in the seventh and eighth innings by stranding a pair of runners at second base.

The Spartans cut the lead in half on another two out hit back in the top of the fifth inning. Thompson lined a single to left field that scored Tyler Lesch to make the score 2-1 through four and a half.

Osprey starting pitcher, David Trexler pitched into the sixth inning for the fourth-straight outing, getting the no-decision. The senior righty, struck out three batters and surrendered only three hits.

Second baseman Patrick Ervin had two hits in the contest, finishing the night 2-for-4. On the defensive side, Garrick Ferguson made two outstanding plays in left field. He had a diving catch to take away a hit in the left centerfield gap and robbed a Spartan home run extending over the left field wall later on in the contest.

The two teams will be back at it tomorrow afternoon for game two. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Harmon Stadium. Junior Evan Incinelli (2-1) will get the start on the mound for the Ospreys and he will be opposed by David Roseboom (1-2) who comes into the game with a team-low, 3.04 ERA.