Game One Box (PDF) | Game Two Box (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida (8-8) came from behind twice in a pair of wins against Fairfield (0-2) this afternoon at Harmon Stadium. The Ospreys claimed game one with a 6-3 victory and went on to clinch the series with a 7-4 win in the nightcap.
 
The Ospreys used a pair of five-run rallies in both contests to get back to the .500 mark this afternoon. Donnie Dewees had a bases clearing double in the seventh inning in game one to give the North Florida the lead for good. Senior Alex Bacon repeated those efforts in game two, with a three-run double of his own in the sixth inning, sparking the comeback victory.
 
Dewees finished the afternoon with a 5-for-9 effort at the plate including three runs scored and three RBIs. Senior Trent Higginbothem collected four hits on the afternoon and went 4-for-8 with two RBIs and a run scored.
 
Game 1
Starting pitcher Tyler Moore put together another solid outing but was not able to get the victory. He pitched six innings and did not allow an earned run while striking out five. It marked the third outing this season where he has surrendered two or less earned runs and not picked up the win.
 
The Ospreys nearly broke the game open early when they loaded the bases in the fourth inning. The Ospreys managed only one courtesy of an RBI ground out by Ryan Roberson. Fairfield starting pitcher E.J. Ashworth worked out of a no-out bases loaded jam by inducing three ground outs.
 
The Stags took advantage of an Osprey error, plating two runs in their next turn at the plate. The two-out miscue scored Brendan Tracy and the next batter, Troy Scocca, singled home the go-ahead run.
 
Dan Hopkins added to the Stags lead in the top of the 7^th with the team's first home run of the year. He drove 0-1 pitch over the left centerfield wall to make the score 3-1.
 
Fairfield reliever Kyle Dube came on in relief with runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the 7^th. After hitting a batter to load the bases, he struck out the next two and was a strike away from ending the inning. Dewees drove a 3-2 fastball to the gap in left center to score all three runs and give the Ospreys the lead. An RBI double by Keith Skinner followed by an RBI single by Higginbothem capped a five-run, seventh inning.
 
After coming on to record the final out of the top of the seventh, reliever Matthew Naylor was able to close the door on the Stags, working a scoreless eighth and ninth innings. He struck out one batter and in the process earned his second win of the season.
 
The Ospreys have scored 41 of their 100 runs this season in the last three innings.
 
Game 2
Fairfield led the entire game all the way up until a five run rally, this time in the sixth inning by the Ospreys. North Florida scored seven unanswered runs for its eighth win of the year. The Stags offense was powered by right fielder Billy Zolga who was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. His two-run homer in the top of the sixth gave the Stags a commanding 4-0 lead.
 
The Starting pitcher for the Stags, lefthander Tucker Panciera was cruising until the bottom of the sixth. He was lifted after Dewees tripled and later scored on a Higginbothem RBI single. Until that point he allowed only five Osprey runners in 5.1 innings of work.
 
An error and a walk by Fairfield reliever Aaron Howell loaded the bases for the James Abbatinozzi. The game two catcher earned a five pitch walk, scoring Higginbothem from third. With the score 4-2, Bacon launched the first pitch he saw into right center field, allowing all three runners to score and gave the Ospreys a 5-4 lead.
 
Evan Incinelli came on relief in the sixth inning and did not surrender a run. He allowed only two hits and struck out three batters in his best outing of the season. Tyler DuPont was charged with all four runs in the contest but struck out five batters in 5.2 innings. He threw 91 pitches in his third start of the season.
 
Tomorrow's series finale will be at 11:30 a.m. when UNF's Bryan Baker squares off against righty Mike Wallace. Admission to tomorrow's game will be FREE.