Baseball Uses Six-Run Third, Downs No. 24/21 FSU on Opening Day

Saturday, February 20

Tallahassee, Fla.

2 p.m.

University of North Florida

1-0

#24/21 Florida State

0-1

UNF

Florida State

Baseball Uses Six-Run Third, Downs No. 24/21 FSU on Opening Day

2/20/2021 5:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Reitz Strands Bags Loaded in the Ninth

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - UNF baseball (1-0) defeated No. 24/21 Florida State (0-1), 7-4, thanks to a sixth-run third and a strong effort by the Osprey bullpen on the road Saturday, February 20.

FSU loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth, but Brandon Reitz came in and retired all three batters he faced to secure the save. It was career save number one for Reitz, a former Seminole.

It's the Ospreys' first win at FSU since 2009 and the first win against a ranked foe since UNF defeated No. 3/5 Florida on this day two years ago.

UNF 7, No. 24/21 Florida State 4

Pitchers of Record
Win: Max McKinley (1-0)
Loss: Parker Messick (0-1)
Save: Brandon Reitz (1)

Line Scores
UNF | 7R, 11H, 0E, 11 LOB
FSU | 4R, 8H, 2E, 10 LOB

Behind the Line Score

North Florida exploded for a six-run third inning.
- Tanner Clark started things off with a solo home run to right to lead it off. Aidan Sweatt doubled, Justin Holmes was hit by a pitch and Blake Marabell singled in Sweatt. Alex Kachler singled in Holmes before FSU starting pitcher Parker Messick was pulled from the game.
- Cade Westbrook walked, a wild pitch scored Marabell and a Robbie Scott laced a two-out double, scoring Westbrook and Kachler.
FSU responded with a three-run homer in the bottom of the third off of Matheu Nelson's bat, cutting UNF's lead to 6-3.
The Seminoles strung three singles together in the fourth, making it 6-4.
Max McKinley rolled a key double play to get out of a jam in the fifth.
North Florida used singles from Kachler and Westbrook followed by an FSU fielding error to make it 7-4 in the 7th.
Ethan Jones came in for McKinley in the seventh, fanning two while picking off an FSU baserunner.
Stephen Halstead worked a scoreless eighth and started the ninth before Eddie Miller entered. Reitz took over, inheriting the bases loaded before getting two strikeouts and the game-ending groundout.

Statistical Leaders
North Florida

Clark | 1-for-4, HR, BB
Kachler | 3-for-4, 2R, BB
Scott | 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2B, BB
McKinley | 3.0, 4H, ER, 2BB, 2K, W
Reitz | 1.0 IP, 2K, SV

FSU

M. Nelson | 1-for-4, HR, 3RBI, BB
Tyler Martin | 2-for-2, R, RBI, 3BB
Nander De Sedas | 2-for-4, R, 2B

Notes

It's UNF's 18th win against a ranked foe.
It's UNF's third win against Florida State in series history.
Clark has homered twice in his last two games if you roll it back to last season.
UNF's last two wins dating back to 2020 came against Power Five teams.
Holmes, Kachler, Sweatt, Scott, Bogart and Westbrook all made their first starts as Ospreys.
Max McKinley appeared in his first game since March of 2019 after recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
Ethan Jones made his UNF debut, coming in for McKinley as a reliever in the seventh. Halstead also made his Osprey debut.
Every UNF offensive starter reached base at least once.