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University of North Florida Athletics

A UNF baseball player swing his bat and gets a hit
2
Rutgers RU 4-9
13
Winner North Florida UNF 11-4
Rutgers RU
4-9
2
Final
13
North Florida UNF
11-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rutgers RU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 9 4
North Florida UNF 2 0 1 0 0 7 1 2 X 13 15 2

W: Howze, Austin (2-0) L: Brito, Serafino (0-4) S: Norkus, Trace (1)

2
Winner Rutgers RU 5-9
1
North Florida UNF 11-5
Winner
Rutgers RU
5-9
2
Final
1
North Florida UNF
11-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rutgers RU 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 2
North Florida UNF 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0

W: Rosa, Gaby (2-0) L: Delaney, Anthony (2-1) S: Herrmann, Max (2)

Next Game:

Rutgers

3/12/2017 | 1:00 p.m.

Next Game

Full Schedule
Mar. 12 (Sun) / 1:00 p.m.
 Rutgers
History

Game Recap: Baseball | | Jim Moyes

Ospreys Split Saturday Doubleheader with Rutgers

Final Score:
G1- North Florida 13, Rutgers 2
WP: Austin Howze (2-0) LP: Serafino Brito  (0-4) | Save: Trace Norkus (1)
Final Boxscore PDF
G2- Rutgers 2, North Florida 1
WP: Gaby Rosa (2-0) LP: Anthony Delaney (2-1) | Save: Max Herrmann (2)
Final Boxscore PDF
Location: Harmon Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Records: UNF 11-5 | Rutgers 5-9

THE SHORT STORY
After North Florida won game one 13-2 behind a 15-hit attack, a converted shortstop came to the rescue for the visiting Scarlet Knights to finally cool off the potent UNF bats as Rutgers snapped the Osprey's nine game winning streak with a 2-1 victory in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader at Harmon Stadium.  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One
- The Ospreys and Scarlet Knights were in a tight battle in the opening contest before UNF broke the game wide open in the 6th inning.
- North Florida made quick work in getting on the scoreboard first.  Leadoff hitter Yahir Gurrola began the bottom of the first by reaching on an error and then moved up a base on a single by Blake Voyles.  Chris Thibideau's deep fly ball out was as good as a sacrifice as both runners moved up a base.  Alex Merritt's ground out brought home Gurrola and Patrick Ervin's two out single plated Voyles.
- UNF once again was the beneficiary of a Rutgers error, adding a single tally in the third as Merritt's single scored Thibideau to stretch the lead to 3-0
- Frank German, seeking his fourth victory early into the 2017 season, wasn't quite as sharp as he was in his previous three starts, but was still effective enough to keep Rutgers from scoring any runs. However, after Rutgers opened up the fifth inning with a pair of singles and German's pitch count nearing 90, UNF coach Smoke Laval went to the bullpen.  Left handed pitcher Eddie Miller retired the first two batters he faced before Laval then called on right handed hurler Austin Howze to retire the third out of the inning with no damage done
- Rutgers threatened to put a big number up in the sixth inning, but after scoring their first run of the game, Howze struck out Mike Carter with the bases loaded to limit the Scarlet Knights to but one run
- The Ospreys also had the bases loaded in their half of the sixth inning, but before Rutgers was able to get that elusive third out, the UNF cashed in with 7 runs.  North Florida had base hits by Gurrola, Merritt, Ervin, Chris Berry, Wes Weeks, and Christian Diaz, while Rutgers pitchers hindered their cause with two hit batsmen and a walk.  Before the dust had cleared, the Ospreys had broken the game wide open with a 10-1 lead
- Mac Wilson's RBI groundout scored Merritt for a single tally in the seventh and the Ospreys concluded their scoring with three more runs in the 8th, with the big blow a two run double by Merritt.
- Merritt, Gurrola and Ervin led the Osprey offense with three hits apiece, with Merritt driving in five of the UNF 13 runs.  
- Howze got credit for his second victory of the season while Trace Norcus, who pitched the final three innings, would collect a rule book save as the Ospreys improved their season mark to 11-4

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game Two
- Rutger starter Gaby Rosa gave up just one run, while allowing only three hits, to lead Rutgers to their first win over the Ospreys after being outscored in the first two contests 28-3
- Game three of this series was a complete contrast from the previous two contests at Harmon Stadium.  After notching 34 combined hits in games one and two, the Rutgers duo of starting pitcher Rosa and hard throwing closer Max Herrmann limited the Ospreys to only three singles over nine innings
- The first UNF loss in 10 contests overshadowed a fine pitching performance by the UNF trio of Anthony Delaney, Alex Smith and Matthew Naylor.
- Delaney was charged with the loss after giving up the only two runs scored by the visitors from the Big Ten.  Smith and Naylor gave the Ospreys a chance to pull out the victory by allowing any runs over their 5.2 innings of shutout relief work
- Rutgers hottest hitter in the series, Chris Folinusz, supplied most of the offensive punch.  After delivering three hits in game number one, Folinusz, drove in both Scarlet Knight runs with a double in the second inning and a RBI single in the fourth
- The most serious scoring opportunity for UNF was in the fifth inning.  Berry and Wes Weeks led off the inning with solid singles, moved up on a perfect sacrifice bunt from Ervin, but were able to only score one run on Joe Boyle's ground ball out
- The loss not only stopped the Osprey's win streak at nine, but the Rutgers duo of Rosa and Herrmann stopped Gurrola's consecutive game hit streak at 12. The win was the fifth in 14 games for Rutgers while UNF record now stands at 11-5

WHAT'S NEXT
North Florida and Rutgers will conclude the four game series with a Sunday game at 1:00 PM. The game can be heard on the radio on 1010 XL (AM).

 
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Players Mentioned

Chris Berry

#21 Chris Berry

UTL
6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
Anthony Delaney

#35 Anthony Delaney

RHP
5' 9"
Senior
R/R
Christian Diaz

#28 Christian Diaz

1B
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Patrick Ervin

#3 Patrick Ervin

2B
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
L-R
Frank German

#1 Frank German

RHP
6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
Austin Howze

#19 Austin Howze

RHP
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Alex Merritt

#4 Alex Merritt

INF
6' 1"
Senior
R-R
Eddie Miller

#17 Eddie Miller

LHP
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
R/L
Matthew Naylor

#39 Matthew Naylor

RHP
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Trace Norkus

#29 Trace Norkus

RHP
6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R

Players Mentioned

Chris Berry

#21 Chris Berry

6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
UTL
Anthony Delaney

#35 Anthony Delaney

5' 9"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Christian Diaz

#28 Christian Diaz

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
1B
Patrick Ervin

#3 Patrick Ervin

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
L-R
2B
Frank German

#1 Frank German

6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Austin Howze

#19 Austin Howze

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
RHP
Alex Merritt

#4 Alex Merritt

6' 1"
Senior
R-R
INF
Eddie Miller

#17 Eddie Miller

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
R/L
LHP
Matthew Naylor

#39 Matthew Naylor

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
RHP
Trace Norkus

#29 Trace Norkus

6' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP