Box Score (PDF)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Down but never out, North Florida (31-13) came-from-behind yet again for a 9-3 road victory over No. 24 UCF (26-16) this evening at UCF Baseball Complex. The win is the first over a ranked opponent for the Ospreys since 2013.
The Ospreys trailed 3-1 going into the sixth inning an exploded for six runs to take a 7-3 lead. It is the eighth time this season North Florida has scored six more runs in a single inning. The victory was the 16
th come-from-behind win this season for North Florida.
Donnie Dewees put Ospreys up for good with a two-RBI single in to right field before
Trent Higginbothem broke the game open with a three-run home run to left field.
Senior
Dan VanSickle came on in relief in the third inning and had one of the best outings of his career. He pitched five scoreless innings, scattered three hits and struck out three. Most importantly he set the tone after the big offensive outburst with a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth. From the fifth to the seventh inning he retired seven hitters in a row. He earns his first victory of the season in his 13
th appearance.
Dewees extended his hit streak to 20 games and finished the night 3-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Nick Karmeris and
Garrick Ferguson each put together multiple hit games for the Ospreys. Ferguson also swiped three bases tying a D-1 era (2006-present) single-game record.
All three UCF runs came off the bat of Logan Heiser in the bottom of the second inning. With the bases loaded, he laced one down the left field line and allowed all three runners to score. Heiser was thrown out trying to advance on the throw but was able to give the Knights a quick, 3-0 lead.
From there the Ospreys chipped away at the UCF lead and took advantage of two of the four Knight errors to pull within a run. In the top of the third, Dewees reached on a throwing error and later scored on
Ryan Roberson's first of four hits on the night. Roberson matched a career-high with four hits and finished the night 4-for-4 with a run scored.
Another lead-off error ignited the six-run rally when a sharply hit ball by Olmstead went between the legs of the UCF third baseman. Hustling on the play, Olmstead pulled into second and scored on an RBI single by Karmeris to cut the UCF lead to one.
UCF starting pitcher Bobby Howell's night ended a few batters later when North Florida loaded the bases. Knight Head Coach Terry Rooney brought in a lefthander to face Dewees but the Ospreys' leading hitter deposited a pitch down the right field line and brought in the go-ahead run from second. The next batter, Higginbothem cracked his seventh homer of the season.to give the Ospreys a commanding 7-1 lead.
The win was the first over a ranked opponent since the Ospreys took down #29 Florida in 2013. North Florida has enjoyed success at Jay Bergman Field and improve to 8-2 all-time on the road against UCF.
North Florida will continue its road swing tomorrow in Charleston to take on the Citadel. The Ospreys and Bulldogs will close out their midweek season series after the Ospreys took the first contest 16-9 in Jacksonville on Feb. 18.
