@OspreyBSB Comes Up Short Late in Cox Invitational Opener

Friday, February 20

Pensacola, Fla.

12:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

2-3

Nicholls St.

4-1

Nicholls St.

North Florida

2/20/2015 4:37:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Notorious for late-game rallies so far this season, the North Florida baseball team (2-3) scored twice in the bottom of the ninth but ultimately came up short in a 4-3 loss to Nicholls (4-1) in the opener of the Cox Diamond Invitational.

Nicholls, fresh off an upset victory over No. 4 LSU on Wednesday night, scored runs in three consecutive innings beginning in the fourth. They cushioned a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth thanks to the speed of lead-off man Justin Holt. The sophomore legged out an infield single, was sacrificed over to second and later scored on a Christian Correa RBI single for the eventual game-deciding run.

The Ospreys went down fighting, plating two runners in their final at bat. Alex Bacon and Alex Merritt reached base on the first two pitches thrown by closer Stuart Holmes. Both runners moved up a base on a Garrick Ferguson fly out. Bacon then scored on an RBI ground out by James Abbatinozzi. Sophomore Patrick Ervin slapped an opposite field single in between shortstop and third that scored Merritt, pulling the Ospreys within a run.

Holmes was able to induce a fly out with the tying run on first to record the game's final out and his third save of the year.

Osprey starting pitcher Tyler Moore took another tough-luck loss, allowing only two runs and striking out four. In two starts, he has surrendered four runs while the Osprey offense has managed to score four runs. Nicholls right-hander Marc Frazier threw 88 pitches in six innings of work to earn the win. He struck out four batters and scattered six hits.

Abbatinozzi and Ervin each put together multiple-hit efforts and got credit for both of the Ospreys RBIs. The Ospreys first run of the game came in the fifth inning when Ferguson scored on a wild pitch.

Through five games, North Florida has scored 19 of their 37 runs this season in the last three innings of games.

The Ospreys will play three more games in the Cox Diamond Invitational beginning with Southern Mississippi on Friday night.