Sunday, April 27
Jacksonville, Fla.
1 p.m.
University of North Florida
19-24, 9-12
10
vs
4
Stetson
18-28, 7-11
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Stetson
0
1
2
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0
0
1
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10
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North Florida
1
0
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X
10
15
1
Photo by: ASUN Photos
Baker, Higginbothem Help @OspreyBSB to Series Clinching Win
4/27/2014 4:50:00 PM | Baseball
Box Score (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A near complete-game from freshman Bryan Baker on the mound and 10 runs from the offense, led the Ospreys to a 10-4, series-clinching victory over Stetson University (18-28, 7-11 Atlantic Sun) this afternoon. The Ospreys win their ninth conference game of the season, improving them to 9-12 in league play and 19-24 overall.
For the third-straight game junior Trent Higginbothem was the offensive highlight for the Ospreys. The third baseman hit his second home run of the season, finishing the day 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. He batted .571 in the series with eight hits and 10 RBIs.
Just when the Ospreys needed a quality start on the mound, Baker delivered in the crucial, deciding game. He was on the bump for 25 of the 27 outs needed, in his longest outing of the season. He threw 132 pitches and struck out four batters for his second win of the season.
The middle three innings for the Ospreys proved to be the difference in today's game and the ultimately series. North Florida scored six more runs between the fourth, fifth and sixth innings in today's contest. Of the 30 Osprey runs produced in the series, 24 of them came in the middle three innings.
North Florida grabbed the initial lead in the bottom of the first inning. With two runners on, Patrick Ervin singled to center field to score Alex Merritt and give North Florida a quick, 1-0 advantage.
The Hatters responded in their next turn at the plate, putting the first two runners on and plating a run on an RBI ground out by Mike Fernland. Two more runs in the top of the third on a Josh Powers single through the left side broke the 1-1 tie and gave Stetson their only lead of the contest.
After pulling within a run in the fourth, Higginbothem hit a two-run, go-ahead homer over the left field wall to put the Ospreys up, 4-3. He was at it again in the sixth, with his second hit of the day, a double down the left field line that plated two runs. A double by Ervin later in the inning capped a three-run sixth and opened up a 7-3 lead. Ervin put forth his third-three hit performance of the season, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs and run scored.
Unlike in yesterday's game, the Ospreys were able to add some insurance in the later innings, two off one swing. Sophomore Corbin Olmstead belted his third home run of the series and eighth of the season to in the bottom of the eighth to make the score, 10-4. He finished the day with two hits and two RBIs.
Evan Incinelli came on to retire the final two batters in the top of the ninth inning by virtue of the strikeout to preserve the victory.
The Ospreys win their third Atlantic Sun series of the season and the first against Stetson since 2010. The Hatters have enjoyed recent success against North Florida, coming into the weekend winning eight of the last 10 against UNF.
The Ospreys will stay in the state of Florida for a pair of mid-week games with the University South Florida and Central Florida. The Ospreys will travel to Tampa on Tuesday to take on USF at 6:00 p.m. and come back north to face UCF on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in Orlando.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baker, Bryan (2-3)
L: Taylor Cockrell (4-4)
Batting:
2B: Patrick Mazeika 1 ; Josh Powers 1
RBI: Josh Powers 2 ; Kyle Pitts 1 ; Mike Fernland 1
SH: Kyle Pitts 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Patrick Mazeika 1 ; Garrett Russini 2 ; Mitch Piatnik 1
CS: Kevin Fagan 1 ; Mitch Piatnik 1
HBP: Josh Powers 1 ; Mike Fernland 1 ; Kyle Zech 1
Batting:
2B: Higginbothem, Trent 1 ; Ervin, Patrick 1 ; Ferguson, Garrick 2
HR: Higginbothem, Trent 1 ; Olmstead, Corbin 1
RBI: Brooks, Kyle 1 ; Merritt, Alex 1 ; Higginbothem, Trent 4 ; Ervin, Patrick 2 ; Olmstead, Corbin 2
SH: Walsh, Peyton 1 ; Kelly, Ty 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brooks, Kyle 1 ; Merritt, Alex 1 ; Weeks, Drew 2 ; Higginbothem, Trent 2 ; Ervin, Patrick 1 ; Olmstead, Corbin 1 ; Ferguson, Garrick 1 ; Walsh, Peyton 1
SB: Ferguson, Garrick 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
4
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
cf/lf
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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