Final Score: North Florida 15, Rutgers 1
Location: Harmon Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Records: UNF 10-4 | Rutgers 4-8
WP: Austin Drury (2-1) LP: John O'Reilly (1-3) | Save: Cooper Bradford (1)
Final Boxscore (PDF)
THE SHORT STORY
North Florida's first game against an opponent from the Big Ten since 2011 was a huge success as the Osprey's defeated Rutgers 15-1 last night at Harmon Stadium.
- The Ospreys are now 12-15 against Big Ten foes but are 9-5 against teams not named Ohio State.
- UNF was sound in all aspects of the game in the convincing victory over the Scarlet Knights. In improving their record to 10-4, while stretching their current winning streak to 8 in a row, the Ospreys received solid pitching from Austin Drury and Cooper Bradford, stellar defensive work from Chris Thibideau and Wes Weeks, and robust production in the hitting department from virtually their entire offensive roster.
- Eleven Ospreys who saw action in the game delivered base hits as UNF amassed 19 hits, 10 of those safeties going for extra bases, including three home runs.
- Yahir Gurrola and Tanner Murphy kept their hitting streaks intact with their hitting, with Gurrola now hitting safely in his last 11 games while Murphy's streak is now at nine.
- Thibideau matched Gurrola with three hits on the evening while Alex Merritt, Blake Voyles, Patrick Ervin, and Murphy all had multi-hit games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The visitors from New Jersey took a very short lived lead in the game when Chris Folinusz launched a fly ball into the jet stream that carried well over the right field fence to give Rutgers an early 1-0 lead.
-UNF quickly countered with a run the old fashion way to tie the game in their half of the second inning. Alex Merritt lined a double down the right field line, advanced to third on a ground ball to the right side from Patrick Ervin, and then scored when hot-hitting Tanner Murphy singled on the first pitch he saw to score Merritt.
-A prevailing wind was not needed for Yahir Gurrola in the 3rd inning as he blasted a rocket shot that caromed off the light tower beyond the left field fence for a home run to give the hosts a 2-1 lead. After earlier hitting a line shot down the right field line, Merritt, using both sides of the diamond, hit his 2nd double of the game down the left field line as the fleet footed Thibideau scored all the way from first base.
-Thibideau then used his speed to thwart a possible big inning by the Scarlet Knights in their half of the fourth inning. With two runners on base and UNF leading 3-1, Thibideau made an over the shoulder catch just a couple of steps from the center field fence as Rutgers failed to score.
-Again, some great defense by the Ospreys prevented the Knights from posting yet another big inning in their next at bats. Drury picked leadoff hitter Juwaun Harris off first base, and then with runners on 1st and third and one out Wes Weeks, after catching Christian Campbell's fly ball, then gunned down Mike Carter at the plate with a perfect throw to end the inning.
-Cooper Bradford came on in relief of Drury to begin the 7th inning, and by rule, would be credited with the save by pitching three scoreless innings.
-The Ospreys would put the game out of reach with a couple of big innings. Blake Voyles belted a deep home run into right center field to drive in Gurrola, who had reached base safely with his second hit of the game. The Ospreys however, were not finished in their half of the fifth inning. Thibideau reached on a single and Merritt was hit by a pitch. Ervin moved both runners up with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt. Thibideau scored on a wild pitch while Merritt jogged home with the fourth run of the inning on a line shot double off the bat of Murphy to up the lead to 7-1.
- It was a parade of hits in the 8th inning for the victors as 8 different Ospreys delivered hits in the eight run inning. With one out Gurrola delivered his third hit of the game to begin the rally. Voyles, Thibideau, and Ervin all lashed out doubles whereby UNF coach Smoke Laval inserted reserve players for some welcome at bats. And they all delivered. Dalton Board, Mac Wilson (double), and Chris Matthias all banged out hits before Christian Diaz put an exclamation point on the evening with his first home run of the season.
WHAT'S NEXT
North Florida will again host Rutgers with a Saturday double header with the first game scheduled for 1:00 PM with the second game to follow 30 minutes after the completion of game 1. The duo will conclude the four game series with a Sunday game at 1:00 PM. All games will be carried on the radio on 1010 XL (AM).
