Box Score (PDF)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Stetson University (18-27, 6-10 Atlantic Sun) scored nine unanswered runs in the final three innings to defeat North Florida baseball, 14-9 this afternoon. The win for the Hatters forces a rubber match tomorrow afternoon at Harmon Stadium.
The loss drops the Ospreys to 18-24 overall and 8-12 against Atlantic Sun Opponents. The marathon contest was poorly played on the defensive side of the ball by both teams. North Florida committed a season-high five errors while the Hatters tied a season-high with six defensive miscues.
North Florida starting pitcher
Nick Miller pitched well enough to win, tossing six innings allowing only two earned runs. He left the game with the Ospreys out in front, 9-5 in the top of the seventh. He tied a season-high with five strikeouts in the no-decision.
Despite posting nine runs, the Ospreys couldn't come up with the series clinching victory. It marks the first time this season that North Florida has scored eight or more runs and lost. Junior
Trent Higginbothem picked up where he left off last night, going 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored in today's contest. In two games against Stetson he is 5-for-10 with six runs driven in. Freshman
Alex Merritt had his third, three-hit performance of the year and also scored a pair of runs.
Another middle-inning massacre paced the North Florida offense on the day. In the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, the Ospreys plated eight runs including a four-run, sixth that put the Ospreys out in front, 9-5. In last night's game, North Florida scored 10 runs in the three middle innings en route to an 11-4 win.
Higginbothem's fifth home run of the season in the top of the second cut the initial Stetson lead in half, 2-1. The Ospreys tied the game in the fourth on a bases loaded walk to
Alex Bacon and two-run fielding error to make the score 4-4. Higginbothem came up clutch again with two runners on in the fifth. A single through the left side gave the Ospreys their first lead of the game. The Osprey third baseman now has a team-best 40 RBIs on the season.
Sophomore
Ty Kelly started a four-run, seventh inning with his second home run of the season. North Florida sent nine batters to the plate and took a commanding 9-5 lead.
The response by the Hatters proved to be too much for North Florida to overcome and plenty of support for the Hatter bullpen. The final Stetson reliever, Tyler Warmoth closed the door and earned his second victory of the season. He pitched the final three innings, allowing only one hit while striking out six.
After a four-run seventh inning to tie the game, the go-ahead run for the Hatters came in the top of the eighth on a RBI double by Josh Powers that scored Patrick Mazeika. Powers was 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored in the contest.
Garrett Russini and lead-off man Kevin Fagan each drove in four runs and combined for five hits in 10 at bats to lead the Hatter offense.
The two teams will be back at it again tomorrow at Harmon Stadium for a 1:00 p.m. scheduled start. A starting pitcher for the Ospreys has yet to be announced but right-hander Taylor Cockrell (4-3) will get the nod for Stetson.
