Baseball Bested in Midweek Finale Against USC Upstate

Wednesday, February 22

Jacksonville, Fla.

3:05 p.m.

University of North Florida

2-3

USC Upstate

5-0

USC Upstate

North Florida

Eric Fouraker getting a lead off of us first base

Fouraker homered and singled in his UNF debut.

Photo by: Natavia Reddick

2/22/2023 11:02:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Fouraker Homers in UNF Debut

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida baseball got a jolt of offense late in the game, including a home run in Eric Fouraker's UNF debut, but USC Upstate (5-0) sprinkled in scoring throughout the afternoon as the Ospreys (2-3) dropped the second of two games with the Spartans, 9-4, Wednesday, Feb. 22.

USC Upstate 9, UNF 4

Pitchers of Record
Win: Curtis Mathieu (1-0)
Loss: Clayton Boroski (0-1)

Line Scores
UPST | 9R, 12H, 3E, 10 LOB
UNF | 4R, 7H, 3E, 8 LOB

Behind the Line Score

UNF turned a pair of double plays to set down USC Upstate through two innings.
UNF got two on with two out, but a successful Upstate pickoff ended the inning
A walk, stolen base and two-out fielding error allowed USC Upstate take a 1-0 lead in the third
The Ospreys got the leadoff runner to third base to start the third, but USC Upstate worked a fly out and two strikeouts to end the frame
The Spartans scored two more on back-to-back home runs in the fourth
Brody Maynard worked out of a bases-loaded jam to end the Spartans' fifth.
A nice piece of hitting provided Upstate with a leadoff double in the sixth. He eventually came around to score on a sac fly. A two-run home run to left center gave the Spartans a 6-0 lead after five and a half.
Fouraker gave UNF a spark in his first-career at-bat, lacing a leadoff single. A dropped foul ball extended the at-bat for Cherokee Nichols, who doubled down the left field line.
Gabriel Esquivel plated Fouraker with an infield single and Peyton Sybrandt scored Nichols on a sac fly lineout to right.
A single, stolen bag and two-out base hit gave Upstate a 7-2 lead in the seventh. They added one more with a second two-out knock.
Fouraker became the second Osprey in five games to homer in their UNF debut after launching a towering two-run home run to left in the seventh, cutting the deficit to four.
Upstate's Noah Sullivan hit his second homer of the game, a solo shot to left to open the ninth and finish the day's scoring

Statistical Leaders
UPST

Noah Sullivan | 3-for-5, 2HR
Jace Rinehart | 1-for-5, 2RBI
Cole Caruso | 2-for-5, 2B, 2R

UNF

Austin Brinling | 2-for-4
Eric Fouraker | 2-for-3, HR, 2RBI, 2R
Cherokee Nichols | 2B, R

Notes

Eric Fouraker made his UNF debut as a substitution in the sixth
Ian Brown made his season debut at third base
UNF and USC Upstate played their 48th game against one another
North Florida has three games remaining on a season-opening eight-game home stand
Fouraker is the second freshman this season to homer in their UNF debut, joining Alex Lodise
Brinling batted in the two hole for the first time this season