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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida baseball team (1-1) was on the winning end of a pitcher's duel at Harmon Stadium, blanking George Washington, 2-0. Starting pitcher Bryan Baker and reliever Matthew Naylor allowed two hits apiece in the first victory of the season for the Ospreys.
 
The two Osprey runs came in the bottom half of the sixth inning and proved to be all Baker and Naylor needed. Baker went six strong innings, tossing 89 pitches and striking out five. In his final inning he stranded a runner on second base with one out by fanning the final two batters of the frame.
 
Naylor kept the Colonial hitters off balance for the final three innings to earn his first career save. He did not walk a batter and struck out five.
 
On the other side of the duel, George Washington (1-1) starter Robbie Metz didn't allow a hit over the first three innings and cruised through the first five. North Florida senior Dakota Higdon started the game-winning rally in the sixth with a lead-off double. With two outs, Keith Skinner crushed a 2-0 fastball into left-center that one hopped over the wall and scored Higdon to give the Ospreys a 1-0 lead.
 
The ground-rule double ended Metz's day on just 69 pitches. The Ospreys added an insurance run a batter later when Nick Karmeris ripped a single down the right field line that took a wicked hop on Colonial first baseman, Bobby Campbell. The ball was deflected into shallow right field and allowed Skinner to score from second to give North Florida a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Osprey hitters made solid contact all afternoon and made a trio of Colonial pitchers work. The three George Washington pitchers combined for four walks and did not record a strikeout.
 
Skinner finished the day 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Higdon, making his first start in left field, was also 1-for-3 and scored the Ospreys first run.
 
Karmeris, Alex Merritt, Patrick Ervin and Chris Berry accounted for other four Osprey hits.
 
The rubber game of the three game series is scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Junior right-hander Anthony Delaney will be opposed by Colonial righty, Jacob Williams.