#BSB Benefits From Offensive Explosion in River City Rumble Finale

Sunday, April 6

Jacksonville, Fla.

1 p.m.

University of North Florida

Jacksonville

Photo by: ASUN Photos

#BSB Benefits From Offensive Explosion in River City Rumble Finale

4/6/2014 5:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida offense erupted for 11 runs on 13 hits in an 11-2 victory over cross-town rival Jacksonville this afternoon in the final game of the River City Rumble. The Ospreys scored a season-high seven runs in the seventh inning to break the game open.

With the victory the Ospreys improve to 15-17 on the season and remain in fourth place at 6-6 in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings. Jacksonville drops to 10-20 and trail North Florida by a game with a 5-7 record in league play.

The North Florida offense helped starting pitcher Corbin Olmstead to his third victory of the season. After allowing two runs in the first inning, the sophomore right-hander was stellar, pitching seven-straight scoreless innings. He struck out four batters and scattered seven hits in his third consecutive Sunday start.

Junior Drew Weeks led the Osprey offense going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and game-high four RBIs on the day. Trent Higginbothem put together his third-consecutive multiple RBI performance. He was 2-for-5 in the contest with a run scored and three RBIs. He finished the series with seven RBIs and leads the team with 26 on the season.

Weeks was the catalyst in the first North Florida rally in the fifth inning. Olmstead began the frame with an RBI single to left that scored Kyle Brooks. Weeks then stepped in with two runners on and belted his fourth home run of the spring, giving the Ospreys a 4-2 lead.

The Ospreys sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach. North Florida scored six runs before Jacksonville recorded an out in the frame. Higginbothem drove in all three of his runs on the day with one swing, tripling down the right field line. Peyton Walsh and Alex Merritt each had RBI hits in the big inning.

Junior Alex Bacon scored his 100^th run as an Osprey, coming around Merritt's infield single. He now trails Assistant Coach Andrew Hannon by two runs for sixth place all-time in the Division I era. Bacon finished the day going, 2-for-3 with in RBI in the contest.

Junior Jamie Cardwell pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Ospreys. The left-hander has not allowed a run in his last three appearances.

The Ospreys will begin a four-game road trip on Wednesday when they take on Florida A&M in Tallahassee. The non-conference tilt will be a precursor to a three-game Atlantic Sun series at Eastern Tennessee State University. First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.