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University of North Florida Athletics

Naylor
8
Winner North Florida UNF 37-13
2
S.C. Upstate UPST 15-32
Winner
North Florida UNF
37-13
8
Final
2
S.C. Upstate UPST
15-32
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
North Florida UNF 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 1 2 8 11 0
S.C. Upstate UPST 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 12 2

W: Naylor, Matthew (7-0) L: PARKER, Dylan (3-3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

@OspreyBSB Clinches Postseason Berth in Comeback Win Over Spartans

Box Score (PDF)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The first place North Florida Ospreys (37-13, 12-4 A-Sun) overcame an early deficit to defeat USC Upstate (15-32, 4-12 A-Sun) on the road this evening, 8-2. The Ospreys are the first team to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament set to begin on May 20.
 
The Ospreys have now won nine consecutive games and are winners of 18 of their last 20 contests. The victory qualifies the Ospreys for their third-straight Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
 
North Florida finally broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh inning with three runs after sending nine batters to the plate. With back-to-back singles by Keith Skinner and Corbin Olmstead to lead-off the inning, Nick Karmeris earned a walk to load the bases. With one out, Patrick Ervin hit a high chopper back to the mound that Dylan Parker elected to throw home. The throw went off the catcher's glove and rolled to the backstop allowing two runs to score on the play.
 
The next batter, Kyle Brooks capped the seventh inning scoring and put the Ospreys out in front, 5-2 with an RBI single to center field.
 
Redshirt sophomore Matthew Naylor came on in relief in the third inning and shut the door on the Spartans. He went on to pitch a season-high six innings and kept Upstate off the scoreboard allowing the Ospreys capture the lead. He did not walk a batter and struck out a season-best seven batters. The win was credited to Naylor who improves to 7-0 on the year.
 
Olmstead added to the late North Florida lead with a solo home run in the top of the eighth. His 12th home run of the spring was an absolute no-doubter over the left field wall. He finished the night 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a run batted in.
 
Catcher Keith Skinner and outfielder Donnie Dewees both put forth multiple-hit efforts. Skinner was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. He plated the final run of the night with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth. Dewees wasted little time extending his hit streak to 26 games with a single in the first inning.  He was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI and has the nation's second longest active hit streak.
 
The first of two errors by Upstate tied the game at two in the top of the third inning. A throw by the third baseman on a Trent Higginbothem ground ball sailed into right field and allowed Patrick Ervin to score from third base to tie the game. The Ospreys are now 25-6 when an opponent makes two or more errors.
 
The middle game of the three-game series will take place tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at Harley Park. Osprey sophomore Bryan Baker (4-2) will get the start on the mound and he will be opposed by right-hander Blake Whitney (3-3).
 
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