Box Score (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida baseball (4-5) team prevailed, 10-6 over Jacksonville (4-1) in the Second Annual Mayor's Cup. The Ospreys scored the game's final four runs and handed the Dolphins their first loss of 2016.
 
Redshirt sophomore Bubba Olivera had a career night for the Ospreys after coming on in the first inning as an injury replacement. He had just one at bat prior to today's contest and finished the night going 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
 
Senior Corbin Olmstead also put forth a clutch performance at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. His two-out, two RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning brought home what proved to be the deciding runs, giving the Ospreys an 8-6 advantage. His next at bat in the eighth, he provided North Florida with some insurance with another two-out, RBI single.
 
The seesaw battle between the crosstown rivals saw the lead change five times and the game tied on three separate occasions. After the Ospreys captured their first lead of the game in the bottom of the first on a Alex Merritt sacrifice fly, Jacksonville's Austin Hays cracked a three-run homer of the left field wall to give the Dolphins a 4-2 lead in the third inning.
 
The Ospreys responded with a long ball of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Making his first start in a North Florida uniform and in only his second at bat, junior Christian Diaz drove a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall to knot the game up at five. Diaz was impressive in his debut, the first baseman collected three hits and scored three times.
 
North Florida starting pitcher Austin Drury exited with the 6-5 lead in the top of the sixth. The freshman lefty was credited with 5.2 innings pitched, charged with four earned runs and he struck out two batters. The first batter after Drury's departure, J.J. Gould tied the game up for the final time at five with a solo shot to left field.
 
Junior Austin Howze picked up his second win this season, pitching two innings and striking out two batters in the process. Reliever Matthew Naylor pitched to two batters in the bottom of the eighth inning and ended a Dolphin threat by striking out Austin Hays with two runners on.
 
Freshman Franklin German worked a scoreless ninth inning; striking out two of the four batters he faced to preserve the Osprey victory.
 
Patrick Ervin and Keith Skinner each scored three times in the contest. Ervin registered two hits in the contest and Skinner drew a career-high, three walks on the night.
 
The Ospreys have now won four-straight games against Jacksonville, which ties the program's longest win streak against the Dolphins. Jacksonville holds a 33-25 advantage in a series that began in 1988.
 
The tail end of an eight-game home stand for North Florida begins this weekend with a three-game series against the University of Pennsylvania. The series opener is scheduled for Friday night at 6:00 p.m.