Box Score (PDF)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Junior starting pitcher
Bryan Baker struck out 11 batters en route to a 17-5 North Florida victory over the University of Pennsylvania (0-1). The Osprey offense scored 10 runs in the first two innings and improved to 5-5 on the year.
Baker recorded 11 of the first 12 outs of the game by virtue of the strikeout, all three he faced in the top of the first. He allowed only one run and three hits in four innings pitched. The 11 strikeouts are the second most in a single game by an Osprey pitcher in the program's D-1 era.
Backed by Baker's career day, the North Florida pitching staff established a new D-1 era (2006-present) record for team strikeouts with 16. Sophomore
Zach Drury came on in relief and pitched three innings, allowed one run and three hits. He struck out three batters and was credited with the victory. In his collegiate debut,
Jay Stadius worked a scoreless eighth inning before giving way to
Adam Polansky in the ninth. Polansky struck out two in the ninth to surpass the team mark of 15 set on Feb. 27, 2006 against Western Michigan.
The Ospreys erupted for a season-high, seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Ospreys batted around and received RBI singles from
Keith Skinner and
Chris Thibideau to open up a 3-0 lead. With bases loaded,
Christian Diaz connected on the first pitch he saw and lined it over the left field wall for a grand slam. It was the second homer in as many games for the junior and the second grand slam of the season for North Florida.
Diaz finished the night 1-for-3 with five RBIs, the most RBIs by an Osprey in a single game this season. Thibideau had a game-high, three hits, finishing the night 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
North Florida was the beneficiary of four Penn errors on the night. Two of the miscues occurred in the first inning and all seven of the first inning Osprey runs were unearned. In total, eight of the 17 runs for the Ospreys on the night were earned.
The offense did not slow down in the later innings and North Florida scored in all but three turns at the plate. Senior
Corbin Olmstead hit his first homer of the spring in the bottom of the 7th, a solo shot to left field that made the score 16-2. He finished the night with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Patrick Ervin, and
Dakota Higdon each recorded two hits on the night. Ervin went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Higdon also drove in two runs and finished the game with two hits in four official at bats.
With the victory the Ospreys improve to 7-0 against Ivy League teams.
The middle game of the three-game series is set for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Lefthander
Tyler DuPont (0-0) will be on the mound for the Ospreys and will be opposed by fellow lefty, Mike Reitcheck. Fans at the ballpark can play "Baseball Bingo" for prizes on Saturday and Sunday.
