@OspreyBSB Uses Local Flair to Top St. Louis on Final Day of Invitational

Sunday, February 22

Pensacola, Fla.

12:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

4-4

Saint Louis

3-4

North Florida

Saint Louis

@OspreyBSB Uses Local Flair to Top St. Louis on Final Day of Invitational

2/22/2015 4:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Local Pensacola products, Trent Higginbothem and Patrick Ervin keyed North Florida (4-4) in an 8-6 victory over Saint Louis University (3-4) on the final day of the Cox Diamond Invitational. The duo combined for five hits and scored five of the Ospreys eight runs on the day.

Higginbothem was 3-for-4 with a home run and matched a career-high with four RBIs. Ervin collected a pair of hits and scored two runs in the contest.

Sophomore Matthew Naylor came on in relief in the fourth inning and closed the door on the Billikens. He earned his first career with, tossed four innings and struck out four batters.

Saint Louis jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, racking up five hits in the frame. Trent Leimkuehler and Jake Henson were credited with RBI singles while Mike Vigliarolo scored on an RBI ground out.

Higginbothem and Ervin, sparked a rally for the Ospreys in the top of the third. After Blake Voyles earned a lead-off walk, Ervin single dropped a ball in front of the right fielder to put runners on first and second. Higginbothem then recorded the first extra-base hit of the weekend for North Florida with an RBI double down the right field line. Ervin later scored on a sacrifice fly by Donnie Dewees to make the score 3-2. Nick Karmeris singled home the tying run two batters later.

Voyles found himself in the middle of the action again in the fourth. He ripped his first double of the year down to lead-off the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After two consecutive ground outs to third, Higginbothem drove a 3-1 fastball over the left field wall for his second homer of the season putting the Ospreys up 5-3.

The Billikens bounced back in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a perfectly executed hit and run play. St. Louis' Josh Bunselmeyer doubled into centerfield allowing Michael Bozarth to score all the way from first, pulling the Billikens within a run. An Osprey error allowed another run to score in the frame to tie the game at five.

The Ospreys took the lead for good in the top of the sixth, thanks to another RBI by Higginbothem. Garrick Ferguson led the inning off with a single and two batters later scored the go-ahead run when Higginbothem singled into left field. Senior Ryan Roberson added to the big inning with an RBI single of his own that scored Ervin. James Abbatinozzi capped the Osprey scoring with a double down the left field line. Abbatinozzi put together a 2-for-3 effort at the plate and drove in his second run of the season.

Starting pitcher Evan Incinelli ran into trouble early but eventually went on to retire eight batters in a row. He left in the fourth inning after the game was tied on an unearned run. He struck out five batters and gave up four earned runs on 69 pitches. He now leads the team with 12 strikeouts.

Freshman Brad Deppermann recorded the last four outs on the mound to earn the save for North Florida.

The Ospreys will return home to Harmon Stadium to host Georgia Southern on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. It will mark the first of two meetings between the school this season. Last year the Ospreys salvaged a 1-1 season series split with an 8-7 victory in Jacksonville.