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University of North Florida Athletics

DeweesRoberson
1
Savannah St. SSUBB 12-13
13
Winner North Florida UNF 18-9
Savannah St. SSUBB
12-13
1
Final
13
North Florida UNF
18-9
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Savannah St. SSUBB 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1
North Florida UNF 2 2 5 2 2 X 13 13 0

W: Vaka, Matt (1-0) L: MCCORMACK,Zach (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

@OspreyBSB Dominant in Rain-Shortened Game vs. Savannah State

Box Score (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida (18-9) scored in all five turns at the plate this evening in a 13-1 rout of Savannah State (12-13) at Harmon Stadium. The game was called after five and half innings due to unplayable field conditions.
 
Red-shirt sophomore Donnie Dewees delivered the biggest hit of the game with a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning. The long ball was his Atlantic Sun best, seventh of the season and the first grand slam by an Osprey since 2012. The left-handed slugger finished the night 1-for-3 with five RBIs and two runs scored.
 
The run support was plenty for freshman starting pitcher Matt Vaka to earn his first collegiate win. Vaka allowed only one run on three hits. He didn't walk any of the 17 batters he faced and struck out three. In 17.1 innings pitched this season he has allowed only two runs and sports a 1.04 earned run average.
 
The Osprey offense took advantage of seven walks issued by the Savannah State pitching staff including three in the bottom of the first. Senior Ryan Roberson made Tiger starting pitcher Ryan McCormack pay in the bottom of the first with his third double in as many games. The bases loaded double allowed Kyle Brooks and Donnie Dewees to score and gave the Ospreys a quick 2-0 lead.
 
A familiar situation unfolded in the second inning thanks to three consecutive singles to start the inning. Patrick Ervin scored the first run of the frame on an RBI ground out by Dewees. The next batter, Trent Higginbothem ripped a single through the left side of the infield that scored Garrick Ferguson. The RBI was Higginbothem's 29th of the season and third in his last four games.
 
After Ferguson drove in the fifth Osprey run of the night in the third inning with a sacrifice fly, a Brooks walk loaded the bases for the fourth time. Dewees then unloaded on a 3-1 fastball that hugged the foul pole and cleared the right field wall with plenty of room to spare. The Osprey lead moved to an insurmountable, 9-0.
 
North Florida continued the offensive onslaught by adding two runs in each of their next two turns at the plate.
 
Dan VanSickle came on and worked a perfect sixth inning, retiring all three batters he faced.
 
The win was the 12th in the last 13 games for the Ospreys. Harmon Stadium has been friendly to North Florida as they now own a 13-3 record at home. The Ospreys have won all six meetings all time at home against Savannah State.
 
The Ospreys will be back in action again tomorrow night with a road contest against Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach. It will be the first of two games scheduled against the Wildcats in 2015. Freshman Conner Andrews will make his first career start for North Florida.
 
 
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