Box Score (PDF)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the second-straight day, North Florida (30-13, 8-4 A-Sun) put up big offensive numbers against cross-town rival Jacksonville (18-21, 4-5 A-Sun). The Ospreys clinched the series with a 17-7 victory this afternoon in the rubber match of the three-game set. Catcher
Keith Skinner set a new school, single-game record with nine RBIs.
Skinner had arguably one of the best offensive games in school history. He finished the day a perfect, 4-for-4 at the plate to go along with a grand slam, a three-run home run, nine RBIs and three runs scored. He began his historic afternoon by giving the Ospreys a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-RBI single to LF. In his next turn at the plate in the third inning, he busted the game open with North Florida's second grand slam of the season, Already with six RBIs, he blasted his third home run of the season in the sixth, clearing the right field wall nearly the same spot as his grand slam earlier in the game.
Redshirt sophomore
Donnie Dewees also etched his name in the record books with five runs scored on the afternoon. The five runs are the most in a single game by any North Florida player in the D-1 era (2006-present) and he is the first Osprey since 1997 to score five runs in a game. He also was a perfect, 4-for-4 at the plate with two walks and hit his A-Sun league-leading 13
th home run of the season in seventh inning.
Senior
Ryan Roberson put forth his second-straight three-RBI day and went 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored. He now has 44 RBIs on the year which is the third most in the Atlantic Sun and eclipses his career high of 41 set back in 2013.
The Ospreys fell behind in the first inning for the second time in as many days but went on to score the next 11 runs. Skinner drove in six of the Ospreys' first seven runs before a four-run rally in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run homer by Roberson.
The Jacksonville bats came alive in the sixth and seventh innings where they combined for six runs but the Osprey lead was too much to overtake. The two teams combined for 35 hits, 15 of them from Dolphin hitters. Jacksonville catcher Garret Ruckel was 4-for-4 with his first home run of the season.
On the mound for North Florida,
Matthew Naylor won his team-best, fifth game of the year after coming on in relief in the third. He pitched a season-high four innings, allowed two runs and struck out a pair to remain unblemished at 5-0.
Despite scoring just two runs on Friday, the Ospreys posted 35 runs this weekend, the most in any three-game series since 2011 when they scored 44 in a sweep at home against Belmont.
The 17 runs by North Florida are the most against Jacksonville in 55 previous meetings. Including this season's Mayor's Cup on Mar. 18, the Ospreys are 3-1 against the Dolphins.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Ospreys as they have two midweek games scheduled beginning Tuesday on the road against No. 15 UCF. North Florida will conclude its season series against The Citadel in Charleston on Wednesday night. The Ospreys will have an eight-day layoff before continuing Atlantic Sun play at Stetson on May 1.
