Box Score (PDF)DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After trailing for the majority of the night, North Florida (19-9) scored the tying run in the ninth inning and put together a six-run rally in the 11
th inning to capture an 11-5 victory over Bethune-Cookman (7-21) this evening.
Pinch-hitters
Keith Skinner and
Nick Karmeris came off the bench to tie the game up in the ninth inning. Skinner punched a ball through the right side to start the frame. The next batter, Karmeris, drove a 2-0 pitch into the right centerfield gap that allowed Skinner to score all the way from first and tied the game up at five.
Bethune-Cookman had the winning run on third base in the bottom of the ninth and the bottom of the 10
th but were denied by the Osprey bullpen. Junior
Corbin Olmstead who came on in the eighth inning, ended the Wildcats chance to win it in the ninth. He issued a lead-off walk but went on to strike out the side for the second-straight inning.
In the bottom half of the 10
th it was
Alex Smith's turn to spoil the Bethune-Cookman hopes. Bryant Munoz led the inning off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and over to third on a wild pitch. Smith recorded a strikeout for the second out and induced an inning-ending ground to force an 11
th inning.
Skinner sparked the game-winning rally for North Florida in the 11
th with a lead-off, ground-rule double over the right centerfield wall. Two pitchers and three batters later,
Kyle Brooks game through with a bases loaded single into left field for the go-ahead run. A string of three-straight hits ensued that plated five more runs.
Senior
Jamie Cardwell worked a scoreless 11
th inning and Smith was credited with his third win of the season.
Bethune-Cookman first took the lead in the bottom of the second inning with a four-run spurt. The Ospreys cut the deficit in half in the top of the third with two runs. After a Wildcat run in the third,
Ryan Roberson and
Corbin Olmstead hit back-to-back home runs to pull the Ospreys within a run.
Ryan Roberson bounced a ball off the hitting facility beyond the left field wall for his second home run of the season and drove in three runs on the night.
Donnie Dewees collected a pair of hits and also drove in three runs.
Skinner batted three times after being entered as a pinch-hitter in the ninth and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
The Ospreys will open up Atlantic Sun Conference play this weekend at home against Florida Gulf Coast. The series will begin on Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Like every Friday night at Harmon Stadium, it will be "Harmon Happy" hour with $1 beer specials. Both Saturday and Sunday's games are slated for 1:00 p.m. starts
