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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Despite home runs from Drew Weeks and Alex Bacon, the Ospreys were unable to overcome two errors in an 8-4 loss to UCF this evening. The Knights took advantage of the North Florida miscues, scoring three unearned runs en route to their ninth-straight win.
 
UCF improves its record to 18-12 while the Ospreys dip below the .500 mark, falling to 14-15 on the season. The Knights never trailed in the contest and scored the game's first three runs. Coming into tonight, the Ospreys were 4-0 when hitting two or more home runs.
 
Kyle Brooks broke out with his fourth, three-hit game of the season. He was 3-for-4 on the night and drove in his 8^th run of the year. Weeks put together his team-leading, 17^th multiple hit performance with a 2-for-4 effort. Trent Higginbothem continued his hot-hitting, going 2-for-4 with a team-high two runs scored.
 
The Knights had an answer to every scoring inning by the Ospreys. After Bacon got the Ospreys on the board with his fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth, the Knights came right back and took advantage of an Osprey throwing error to make the score 4-1 in the top of the sixth.
 
UCF tacked on two more unearned runs in the top of the seventh, opening up a 6-1 advantage. North Florida responded with two runs in the seventh, first on an RBI double by Higginbothem that scored Weeks. Two batters later, Brooks singled up the middle with two outs to pull the Ospreys within three.
 
Back-to-back singles by the Knights in the eighth put two runners on for Erik Barber. The right fielder punched a ball down the right field line that easily scored two runs and put UCF up 8-3. Weeks' third home run of the spring in the eighth pulled the Ospreys within four but proved to be too late.
 
UCF catcher Jordan Savinion was a tough out this evening, racking up a game-high, four hits in five at bats. The Knights, one-two-three hitters went a combined 6-for-11 with six runs scored and three RBIs.
 
Joe Marotta picked up his first win of the season after relieving starting pitcher Ryan Meyer. The right-handed Meyer faced the minimum through four innings but came out of the ball game after Bacon's round tripper.
 
The Ospreys got three shutout innings from Jamie Cardwell who came on in relief in the second inning. He struck out three batters and surrendered only two hits in his longest outing of the season.
 
North Florida will be back at Harmon Stadium this weekend for the River City Rumble against cross-town rival, Jacksonville. The three-game series begins on Friday night with game one slated for 6:00 p.m.