Final Score: North Florida 7, Lipscomb 6
Final Score: North Florida 6, Jacksonville 2
Location: Jacksonville, Fla. (Harmon Stadium)
Records: North Florida (28-27) | Jacksonville (39-19) | Lipscomb (24-30)
WP: Matt Vaka (1-2) |
LP: Alex Dorso (3-3)
WP:
Ethan Michaelis (3-3) |
LP: Matt Meyer (1-2) |
Save:
Trace Norkus (3)
Jacksonville, Fla. – The North Florida Baseball team fought off elimination on two occasions on Friday to punch it's ticket to Saturday's ASUN Tournament final against top seeded Stetson. The Ospreys used a four-run eighth inning to take down Lipscomb 7-6 before knocking off Jacksonville 6-2 to advance to Saturday. UNF will have to defeat Stetson twice to win the title on Saturday afternoon.
LEADING OFF
- The Ospreys were led at the plate by
Chris Berry who went 3-for-7 with four runs scored in the two contests.
Tanner Murphy,
Jay Prather and
Chris Matthias all went 3-for-8 with Matthias adding the game-winning homer against the Dolphins.
- On the mound, North Florida got a solid start from
Ethan Michaelis against the Dolphins going 5.2 IP while only allowing one earned run and striking out five.
-
Matt Vaka in relief against the Bisons grabbed the win after throwing 3.0 IP shutout innings.
Trace Norkus got the save against JU going 3.1 IP without allowing a run and striking out a career-high five batters.
- It's the Ospreys first ASUN Championship game since 2015 when UNF fell to Lipscomb 8-7.
-
Mac Wilson improved his on-base streak to 16 consecutive games.
- Matthias and Berry lead the team with .375 averages in the tournament thus far.
HOW IT HAPPENED LIPSCOMB GAME
- The Bisons got on the board first in the third with a bases loaded walk to take an early 1-0 lead. Lipscomb pushed its lead to 2-0 after a UNF wild pitch in the next frame.
- In the fifth, North Florida got on the board with a Berry RBI ground out followed up quickly by a
Dalton Board two-run single to give UNF a 3-2 lead.
- Lipscomb answered quickly with an RBI double in the sixth to tie it at three apiece. The Bisons added to their lead with a two-run homer and an RBI single in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead.
- With their backs up against the wall, UNF responded in the bottom of the eighth starting with a pinch hit sacrifice fly from
Max Law to make it 6-4.
- Berry followed quickly with an RBI single to make it 6-5 before Murphy picked up a two-run single to complete the come back and give the Ospreys another game against JU.
HOW IT HAPPENED JACKSONVILLE GAME
- UNF struck first in the fourth on an RBI ground out from Murphy to give UNF a 1-0 lead.
- The Dolphins answered quickly with an RBI single to tie it at one apiece after four innings.
- In the fifth, Matthias turned on a pitch and drilled it to left to give the Ospreys a 2-1 lead.
- Murphy added a run for the Ospreys on an RBI single in the sixth to make it 3-1.
- JU cut it to 3-2 on a Osprey wild pitch in the sixth.
- North Florida finished it off when Voyles lined one down the left field line to clear the bases in the eighth and give UNF a 6-2 advantage and a spot in Saturday's final.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Ospreys now face off against Stetson in the ASUN Championship on Saturday at 1 p.m.. North Florida must win game one to force a winner take all finale on Saturday afternoon.
