Early Lead Escapes Ospreys in Rubber Game Against No. 14 Liberty

Sunday, March 20

Jacksonville, Fla.

1:05 p.m.

University of North Florida

7-13, 1-2

Liberty

14-4, 2-1

Liberty

North Florida

Holden spun 2.1 innings of hitless ball Sunday.

Photo by: Todd Drexler

Early Lead Escapes Ospreys in Rubber Game Against No. 14 Liberty

3/20/2022 8:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

UNF Comes Up Short, 7-5, Despite 15-Hit Game

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Despite unleashing 15 hits and getting out to 4-1 lead, North Florida baseball (7-13, 1-2 ASUN) dropped the rubber game, 7-5, against Liberty (14-4, 2-1 ASUN) Sunday, March 20.

The Ospreys created a 4-1 lead through four innings, but Liberty scored four two-out runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. The Flames' bullpen spun 5.1 innings of one-run ball to take the decisive third game.

UNF starting pitcher Tony Roca was one out away from getting through the fifth with the lead and being eligible for the win before Liberty rattled off a game-altering two-out rally.

Grant Grodi put up a team-high three hits, Abraham Sequera drove in three and five Ospreys had multi-hit games despite the loss.

The big difference behind the box score came to extra-base hits. All 15 of UNF's hits were singles, while Liberty notched five extra-base hits over its nine total knocks.

#14 Liberty, 7, UNF 5

Pitchers of Record
Win: Mason Fluharty (3-1)
Loss: Tony Roca (0-3)
Save: Cade Hungate (6)

Line Scores
LIB | 7R, 9H, 3E, 10 LOB
UNF | 5R, 15H, 0E, 12 LOB

Behind the Line Score

UNF got out of a jam in the first thanks to Cade Westbrook's throw to the plate on a fly out, getting Liberty's runner as he tried to score on a sac fly.
North Florida responded to score two in the first inning thanks to an RBI single from Abraham Sequera and another run on a fielding error.
Sequera brought in another in the second on a great piece of hitting as he singled to left on an outside pitch, scoring Edge who started the frame with a single.
Walks and hit batters loomed large in the third as Liberty got one in the third.
Three hits including an RBI base hit from Westbrook over the glove of Liberty's Addrian McNeal at second base brought in the fourth run.
Liberty replied in a big way, posting four runs in the fifth to go up, 5-4, all of which came with two outs. Three Hillier supplied the biggest blow, a go-ahead two-run jack.
Liberty extended its lead with two more runs on a Brady Gulakowski towering home run down the right field line in the seventh.
UNF got the first three batters on in the eighth before Sequera rolled an RBI groundout to get one back in the eighth, cutting the deficit to 7-5. Liberty's Cade Hungate came in and stranded two Ospreys.
Despite getting the first runner on in the ninth, Liberty spun a 6-3 double play and another groundout to end the game.

Statistical Leaders
Liberty

Brady Gulakowski | 2-for-3, HR, 4RBI, 2B
Three Hillier | 1-for-5, HR, 2RBI
Camerson Foster | 4-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, R
Mason Fluharty | 3.1 IP, 2H, 0BB, 6K

UNF

Isaiah Byars | 2-for-5, R
Abraham Sequera | 2-for-5, 3RBI, R
Dallen Leach | 2-for-5
Brock Edge | 2-for-5, 2R
Grant Grodi | 3-for-4, R
Peter Holden | 2.1 IP, 0H, 0ER, 0BB, 2K

Notes

All 15 of UNF's hits were singles.
Grodi's three hits tied a career high.
Holden lowered his ERA to 1.59 after his fourth-consecutive appearance without an earned run.

Up Next
UNF finishes up a suspended game at FAMU Tuesday before playing a nine-inning game later in the day March 22 in Tallahassee.