Box Score (PDF)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Ospreys scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Georgia Southern, 5-4 in walk-off fashion at Harmon Stadium. With two outs, red-shirt freshman
Blake Voyles doubled to left field allowing the tying and winning runs to score.
In just his third career start, Voyles drove a 1-1 pitch from Georgia Southern closer, Chris Brown over the left fielder's head allowing
Corbin Olmstead and
Nick Karmeris to score. The designated hitter came to the plate in the ninth seeking his first hit of the night and delivered in a big way.
North Florida (5-4) only had four hits going into their final turn at the plate after starter Matt Geiger limited the Ospreys to just two runs over six innings.
Trent Higginbothem started the ninth inning rally with a double down the right field line and later scored on a passed ball. Both Karmeris and Olmstead worked two-out walks to set the stage for Voyles.
Each team scored a run in the first inning and the 1-1 tie lasted all the way until the sixth. The Eagles scored two runs in the top of the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. Chase Griffin tripled in a run to recapture the lead and later scored on an RBI ground out by Will Hudgins.
The Ospreys responded in the bottom half of the inning when
Keith Skinner singled through the middle to score,
Donnie Dewees, pulling the Ospreys within a run.
Georgia Southern capitalized on an Osprey error, when pitcher
John Suskauer tried to pick off Logan Baldwin at first. Suskauer's throw rattled all the way down the line into the North Florida bullpen and the speed of Baldwin allowed him to score all the way from first.
Relievers
Dan VanSickle and
Jamie Cardwell came on to shut the door on the Eagles. The duo combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball and four strikeouts. Cardwell pitched a scoreless eighth inning and was credited with first career win.
Dewees was the offensive spark plug early and scored the Ospreys first two runs. He was 2-for-4 with a triple on the day. The triple was his sixth of his career, the third most in the North Florida Division I era.
Osprey starting pitcher,
Matt Vaka issued two walks in the first inning that led to his only earned run of the game. He pitched 3.2 innings and struck out two in his second, midweek start of the season.
The Ospreys will begin a five-game stretch away from Harmon Stadium on Friday in Charleston, S.C. with a neutral site game against St. John's. The Ospreys will play another against the Red Storm on Saturday before two games against host, Charleston Southern.
