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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Top-seeded North Florida earned its way into the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship game with an 8-2 victory over FGCU in this afternoon's elimination game. The Ospreys will be back on the field Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. to take on Lipscomb, needing two wins to capture the Atlantic Sun title.
 
Second-seeded Lipscomb has yet to lose in this year's tournament and edged the Ospreys, 2-1 in Friday's game. The Bisons need only one win to capture their second A-Sun Championship while North Florida will need two, with a winner-take-all possibility on Sunday at noon if necessary.
 
After being limited to just five hits in their previous game, the Ospreys eclipsed that mark in their first two trips to the plate and jumped out to a 4-0 advantage. Lead-off man Kyle Brooks scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning on a ground out by Trent Higginbothem. Brooks had a hit in each of his four at bats and finished 4-for-4 with 2 runs scored.
 
In the second inning, the Ospreys rallied for three more runs on Eagle lefty Josh Dye. The big hit in the inning came off the bat of Garrick Ferguson who tripled down the right field line, scoring Alex Bacon and Patrick Ervin. He later scored on a Brooks single to give North Florida a 4-0 advantage after two.
 
Making his first career postseason start, senior Tyler Moore was brilliant over the first five innings he pitched. He matched a season-high with six strikeouts and was lifted in the top of the sixth after surrendering a lead-off hit. FGCU went on to score two in the frame, one on an RBI single from Jake Noll to cut the lead in half, 4-2.
 
A reoccurring theme in the 2015 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament has been the adherence to various lightning delays. Today was no different as teams were cleared from the field a little after 1:00 p.m. and sat through a five-hour and thirty minute delay before restarting at 6:30 p.m.
 
Junior Corbin Olmstead was called upon get three outs after entering with a 3-2 count, a runner on first and no outs in the top of the seventh. The Osprey closer answered the bell and stranded a pair of runners in scoring position to keep the score 4-2.
 
The Osprey offense, unfazed by the weather delay, fed off the momentum created by the clutch top half of the inning by Olmstead. North Florida sent eight batters to the plate, racked up four hits and plated four runs to open up an 8-2 advantage. Brooks found himself in the middle of things again and doubled home the first run of the inning. He then caught the defense off guard with a delayed steal of third and scored on a throwing error on Donnie Dewees' stolen bases attempt.
 
With a 6-2 advantage, Ryan Roberson and Corbin Olmstead followed with RBI singles to give North Florida a commanding 8-2 advantage after seven.
 
Needing six outs, Olmstead retired the Eagles in order in the 8^th and senior Nick Miller came on in the ninth to polish off the 45^th win of the season for the Ospreys.