Box Score (PDF)
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Making his first career start, sophomore starting pitcher Tyler DuPont kept Southern Mississippi (3-2) hitters off balance all night long in a 3-2 North Florida (3-3) victory at the Cox Diamond Invitational.
 
The crafty lefty pitched into the ninth inning and yielded to reliever Alex Smith with a one run lead and the bases loaded. Smith induced a ground ball for the second out of the inning but the fielder's choice allowed a run to scored, pulling Southern Mississippi within a run. Smith issued a walk to load the bases for the second time in the inning before striking out Breck Kline to end the game.
 
The save was the second of the season for Smith who has six strikeouts in three appearances this season. DuPont had a career night with 8.1 innings pitched and five strikeouts. Prior to the ninth inning, he allowed only five Golden Eagle hits. After escaping a bases loaded jam in the first inning, DuPont sat down the next 10 batters in a row in a back and forth battle with his Golden Eagle counterpart, Christian Talley.
 
Talley was equally as effective, pitching into the eighth inning before finally getting removed. The hard throwing right-hander surrendered only five Osprey hits on the night and struck out four. All three of the Osprey runs on the night were unearned as Southern Miss committed four errors behind him.
 
The Golden Eagles took the initial lead of the ball game in the fifth inning on a two-out RBI single to centerfield by Kline that scored Taylor Walker.
 
North Florida responded in the bottom of the sixth inning and capitalized on a pair of Golden Eagle errors. After a lead-off walk by Patrick Ervin, Talley overthrew his first baseman on a pickoff attempt allowing Ervin to get all the way to third. A second error of the inning on a ground ball to second base by Ryan Roberson allowed Ervin to score easily to tie the game at one.
 
Two batters and a wild pitch later, Keith Skinner gave the Ospreys the lead, punching a single through the left side that allowed Roberson to score. Skinner was 2-for-4 with an RBI on the night.
 
The Ospreys were able to get an insurance run in the eighth inning thanks to the fourth Southern Mississippi miscue. A two-out, routine ground ball to shortstop turned into another run after an errant throw, allowing pinch-runner Bubba Olivera to score from second.
 
North Florida salvaged a split after being on the losing end of a 1-run ball game earlier in the day. Sophomore Bryan Baker will get the ball tomorrow in the only game of the day for the Ospreys at 4:00 p.m. EST.