JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - After pre-game rain pushed the start time of the season opener back one hour, North Florida baseball made the wait count for those in attendance, defeating Murray State, 3-2, on
Jakob Runnels' walk-off pinch hit single in the bottom of the 10th Friday, Feb. 17.
Murray State (0-1) was rolling with a 2-0 lead behind a no-hit bid through six innings, but freshman shortstop
Alex Lodise catalyzed UNF's late push with an opposite field solo home run in the seventh. Newcomer
Gabriel Esquivel eventually tied things up, 2-2, with a two-out, two-strike single back up the box in the seventh.
After three more shut down frames by the UNF bullpen,
Cade Reich started the 10th off with a single and eventually scored on Runnels' frozen rope into the left field corner.
Peter Holden spun a solid outing in his season debut, allowing just two earned in five innings. UNF newcomers accounted for all three RBI and four of UNF's seven hits.
Lodise became the first true freshman to hit a home run in their UNF debut since Tyler Marincov did so Feb. 25, 2011 against Liberty.
North Florida has had the flair for the dramatic in season openers, playing to a one-run decision in four of the last six season openers. It was also UNF's second walk-off win in the season opener in four seasons.
UNF 3, Murray State 2
Pitchers of Record
Win:
Dominick Madonna (1-0)
Loss: Jacob Pennington (0-1)
Line Scores
MSU | 2R, 4H, E, 6 LOB
UNF | 3R, 7H, 0E, 5 LOB
Behind the Line Score
- Peter Holden started where he left off last year, turning in an eight-pitch first inning that included two strikeouts.
- Austin Brinling worked a two-out walk, stole second and took third on an error on the throw down. Aidan Sweatt walked, but Murray State escaped in the third thanks to a fly out.
- A two-out walk setup a wind-assisted opposite field two-run home run for Murray State in the fourth, giving the Racers a 2-0 lead.
- Murray State threatened again, loading the bags, but Holden worked a groundout to Sweatt at second to end the threat.
- Bolton worked a pair of scoreless frames to open his UNF career, getting the strikeout pitch going as well as a lift on a nice play on the warning track by Cade Reich in left.
- Dominick Madonna evaded harm from a leadoff double in the eighth, getting a slick play from Alex Lodise to close the inning.
- Following up his play in the field, Lodise pummeled an opposite field home run to the gap in right center to open the bottom of the eight. Lodise worked a full count, fouled a few off and delivered the homer in his UNF debut.
- Reich laced a double off the bottom of the centerfield wall to follow up Lodise. Murray State got consecutive outs, but Finn Howell reached on a dropped third strike to extend the frame.
- Gabriel Esquivel made Murray State pay, lacing a game-tying two-out, two-strike RBI single up the box off a hanging curveball.
- Reich ignited the scoring again, coming up with a leadoff single in the 10th. Austin Brinling bunted him over and Reich moved to third on a passed ball.
- After a walk, pinch hitter Jakob Runnels ripped the walk-off single down the left field line, scoring Reich.
Statistical Leaders
MSU
- Seth Gardner | 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
- Dustin Mercer | 1-for-4, BB, 2B
- Jacob Pennington | 6.0 IP, ND, 2BB, 8K
UNF
- Gabriel Esquivel | 2-for-4, RBI
- Cade Reich | 2-for-4, 2B, 2R
- Alex Lodise | 1-for-4, HR
- Peter Holden | ND, 5.0 IP, 3H, 2ER, 2BB, 5K
- Dominick Madonna & Lance Bolton | 5.0 IP, H, 5K, 0BB
Notes
- This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams
- Lance Bolton earned a punchout in his first batter faced as an Osprey
- Seven Ospreys made their UNF debuts
- UNF newcomers accounted for all three of UNF's RBI, as well as four of UNF's seven hits
- It was UNF's first walk-off win on opening night since winning via a walk-off balk against VMI in the season opener back in 2020
- It was UNF's first walk off since May of last season when UNF stormed back to defeat FGCU, 9-8, in 11 innings. That was also UNF's last extra-inning game
- North Florida is 4-2 in season openers under head coach Tim Parenton
- Four of the six season openers under Parenton have been decided by one run
- Lodise is the first Osprey to homer in their first UNF game since Tucker Horsley did so Feb. 22, 2020 against Rutgers
- Lodise is the first UNF true freshman to hit a homer in their first game since Tyler Marincov did so Feb. 25, 2011 against Liberty
- The game started an hour later than planned due to rain
- Esquivel broke up Murray State's no-hitter in the bottom of the seventh
Up Next
The series continues tomorrow against Murray State at 2:05 p.m.
