Strong Pitching Leads to Series Opening Win Against Mercer

Saturday, March 29

Macon, Ga.

6 p.m.

University of North Florida

14-12, 5-2

Mercer

20-7, 5-2

North Florida

Mercer

Photo by: Dave Schofield

3/29/2014 10:01:00 PM | Baseball

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MACON, Ga. – North Florida won the series opener, 6-3 against Mercer (20-7, 5-2 Atlantic Sun) this evening behind a strong pitching effort by Osprey starting pitcher David Trexler. The victory improved UNF to 5-2 against conference opponents and 14-12 overall.

Trexler was stellar before exiting in the top of the eighth inning. He limited the Bears to just two hits on the night and tied a season-high with six strikeouts. He retired nine batters in a row in a stretch beginning in the third inning and earned his third victory of the season.

Dan VanSickle came on in relief and recorded a six-out save, working out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth. He struck out four of the seven batters he faced to record his third save of the year. VanSickle has not allowed an earned run in his last five appearances.

Meanwhile the Osprey offense erupted for 12 hits. Coming into the contest, Mercer boasted the second-best ERA in the Atlantic Sun. Junior Trent Higginbothem led the North Florida attack, going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs.

The game got off to an inauspicious start as the teams worked through a 22-minute rain delay in the bottom of the first inning. Mercer was the team that benefitted from the delay as they came back and plated the game's first run on an RBI double by Zach Backland.

North Florida answered in the top of the third inning on a two-out, RBI single by Higginbothem that scored Corbin Olmstead. The Ospreys grabbed the lead in the top of the fourth once again with two outs. With runners on first and second Olmstead ripped a double into the gap in left field, scoring Garrick Ferguson. Olmstead finished the night with two hits in five turns at the plate and scored his 16^th run of the season.

The Ospreys added to their lead in the top of the fifth, plating two more runs. A sacrifice bunt by Alex Bacon set the table for the North Florida 6-7-8 hitters. Ty Kelly pushed the first run of the frame home on an RBI ground out and a batter later, Garrick Ferguson singled through the right side to give UNF a 4-1 lead.

Higginbothem was at it again with two outs in the top of the sixth as he blasted his second home run the season, extending the Osprey advantage to 6-1. A total of nine of Higginbothem's 16 RBIs this season have come with two outs.

The Mercer offense could not get it going and could not cash in on the golden opportunity in the bottom of the eighth. Only two of the three Mercer runs were earned and the Bears left a total of five runners on base in the contest.

The Ospreys and Bears will conclude the series tomorrow with doubleheader beginning at noon. A pair of three-game winners will be featured on the mound in the first game of tomorrow's twinbill. Evan Incinelli (3-1) gets the nod for the Ospreys and he will be opposed by left hander Grant Papelian (3-1)