McKinley, Ospreys Upend Jacksonville in ASUN Opener

Friday, March 26

Jacksonville, Fla.

7 p.m.

University of North Florida

7-11, 0

Jacksonville

5-13, 0

North Florida

Jacksonville

McKinley picked up his third win of the year Friday night.

Photo by: Rob Davis

3/26/2021 10:29:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Righty Turns in 6.2 Innings, Batters One Through Four Go 7-for-14

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - UNF baseball (7-11, 1-0 ASUN) got ahead early and righty Max McKinley twirled 6.2 innings of two-run ball as the Ospreys dispatched Jacksonville (5-13, 0-1 ASUN), 5-3, in the ASUN opener Friday, March 26 at John Sessions Stadium.

North Florida scored two in the top of the first, adding one in the third, fifth and ninth to complete its scoring. The trio of Stephen Halstead, Eddie Miller and Brandon Reitz allowed one earned on three hits and a walk in 2.1 innings behind McKinley.

UNF's first four batters in the lineup went 7-for-14 with all five RBI.

The Ospreys also clinched the River City Rumble with their 10th barrel point of the year.

Pitchers of Record
Win: Max McKinley (3-2)
Loss: Tyler Santana (3-3)
Save: Brandon Reitz (4)

Line Scores
UNF | 5R, 9H, E, 6 LOB
JU | 3R, 9H, E, 7 LOB

Behind the Line Score

Abraham Sequera singled, Grant Grodi doubled and Alex Kachler laced a two-RBI single off of JU starter Tyler Santana, putting UNF ahead 2-0 after the top of the first.
JU got one back in the bottom of the first on three consecutive singles.
The top of the order did damage again in the third. Sequera walked, Grodi singled to right and Kachler plated Sequera with a sac fly to right center.
McKinley settled in through the first third of the game, retiring eight straight after the three singles in the first.
UNF added another for a 4-1 lead in the fifth. Grodi walked, moved up 90 feet on a Kachler infield single and scored on Trey Spratling-Williams RBI double flared down the left field line.
The Ospreys' defense made some plays in the fifth. Grodi threw out Jackson Grabsky as he attempted to take second on a leadoff single. Isaiah Byars cut off a grounder in the hole at third and threw out Ruben Someillan to end the frame.
JU cut into UNF's lead with one run in the seventh. Cory Heffron blooped a single, Grabsky singled to right and Jesus Pacheco plated Heffron with a single through the left side. Halstead allowed the single to Pacheco, permitted a walk but got an inning-ending groundout with the bags loaded.
JU got within 4-3 in the eighth. Dakota Julylia singled to right, took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a Duncan Hunter single. Heffron scored Julylia with an RBI fielder's choice groundout.
North Florida added a run in the ninth. Austin Bogart hit a ringing double off the left field wall, moved to third on a Byars sac bunt and scored on Sequera's sac fly.
Reitz fanned the first two batters he faced in the ninth before getting a fly out to end it.

Statistical Leaders
UNF

Grodi | 2-for-4, 2R, 2B, BB,
Kachler | 3-for-3, 2B, 3RBI
Sequera | 1-for-3, 2R, RBI, BB
McKinley | 6.2 IP, 2ER, 6H, 4K, 0BB

Grabsky | 2-for-4
Julylia | 2-for-4, R
Tyler Santana | 6.0 IP, 7H, 4ER, 3BB, 7K

Notes

It was McKinley's longest outing since going 8.2 against Fordham in February of 2019.
It was UNF's first game at Jacksonville University since 2018.
Marabell's reached base streak ended at 17. If you date things back to last season it was snapped at 24 games.
UNF doubled four times.
JU didn't record an extra-base hit.
UNF pitchers are five-for-five in save opportunities.
UNF is 6-0 when leading after seven.

Up Next
Game two of the series is slated for 7 p.m. tomorrow.