@OspreyBSB Outslugged in #RiverCityRumble Finale

Sunday, April 10

Jacksonville, Fla.

1:00 p.m.

University of North Florida

20-14, 0

Jacksonville

19-12, 0

North Florida

Jacksonville

4/10/2016 4:12:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Scott Fitzgerald, Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Another stellar starting pitching effort and a pair of homers from Austin Hays helped Jacksonville (19-12, 2-1 A-Sun) to an 8-0 series-clinching win over North Florida (20-14, 2-4 A-Sun). The Dolphins racked up 14 hits and scored all eight runs in the first four innings.

Hays hit two, three-run home runs with the first coming with two outs in the bottom of the second inning to give the Dolphins a 4-0 advantage. He then capped a four-run rally in the fourth inning by plating three runs on his 10^th homer of the spring. It was his third multiple home run game of the year and he takes over the Atlantic Sun lead in long balls. He finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs scored and six RBIs.

The six runs driven in by Hays was more than enough for Dolphin starting pitcher Spencer Stockton. Although he didn't record a strikeout, he limited the Ospreys to a season-low three hits in seven innings of work. At one point he retired nine-straight batters and did not surrender a hit from the second through fifth innings. The win was the fourth of the year for the sophomore right-hander.

Dolphin relievers Chris Gau and Kyle Arjona each tossed an inning of hitless relief to secure Jacksonville's third shutout of the season. The Ospreys, who came into the series ranked seventh in the country in hits, were held to just seven hits in the final two games of the series.

The Osprey bullpen comprised of Matt Vaka and Corbin Olmstead were equally as effective. Vaka came on in the fourth and tossed 3.2 innings of relief. He allowed four hits, struck out one and did not allow a run. Olmstead made his 73rd appearance of his career, tying a new D-1 era school record held by Antonio Franzese (2006-09). He faced the minimum in the eighth and recorded his 17^th strikeout of the year.

At the plate Olmstead collected one of the Ospreys three hits with a single in the sixth. He now has reached base safely in 27 consecutive game. Patrick Ervin led the game off with a single and Chris Thibideau beat out an infield hit in the seventh for the remaining two hits.

The Ospreys were shut out for the second time this season and only the second time in the last 97 games. Jacksonville improves to 35-26 in the all-time series and first shutout of North Florida since 2001.

The lone midweek game will take place in Tampa this Tuesday when for a non-conference tilt at USF. North Florida eyes the two-game season sweep of the Bulls for the first time in school history. The Ospreys walked off with an 8-7 victory on March 16 at Harmon Stadium after scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth. The game wraps a five-game road stretch for North Florida.