CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - North Florida baseball (11-8, 1-0 ASUN) scored in the top of the first and never looked back from its early lead in a complete, 7-1, road victory against Austin Peay (6-12, 0-1 ASUN) in the ASUN Conference opener Friday, March 17.
Lefty
Peter Holden was crafty and efficient just as he has been all year, holding Austin Peay to one earned run over 5.2 innings to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Lance Bolton continued to hold it down out of the pen on the brisk Friday afternoon, posting a spotless 2.1 frames before
Avery Love turned in a scoreless ninth.
While UNF's offense has been characterized by the long ball this season, it was small ball that stole the show. North Florida didn't have an extra-base hit, but rather used 12 singles, eight walks, five stolen bags, two hit by pitches, three sac bunts and two sac flies to peck away at the Governors.
The win moved North Florida to 5-0 in ASUN openers under head coach
Tim Parenton. It was also UNF's first road win in four chances as the Ospreys played outside the Sunshine State for the first time this year.
UNF 7, APSU 1
Pitchers of Record
Win:
Peter Holden (3-1)
Loss: Lyle Miller-Green (1-3)
Line Scores
UNF | 7R, 12H, E, 15 LOB
APSU | R, 12H, E, 11 LOB
Behind the Line Score
- Aidan Sweatt scored in the first inning for the second-straight game, singling to short before moving up 90 feet on a walk. After a double play, a passed ball brought him in.
- Peter Holden's successful pickoff attempt proved big in the third as that preceded a hit batter and a walk. He would induce a groundout to get out of the inning.
- UNF caused fits for Austin Peay in the fourth, scoring three. Blake Pound opened with a single down the left field line and Cade Reich found room on the right side. Matthew Clements put down a sac bunt and Sweatt scored Pound on the sac fly.
- Austin Brinling followed with a flared-RBI single down the left field line before scoring all the way from first on a stolen base and muffed overthrow in center.
- Austin Peay squeaked one across home after a double, productive foul out and infield single with two outs in the fourth.
- UNF added on the insurance with two in the sixth. Brinling and Runnels walked and eventually came around to score after an error and sac fly lineout.
- Brinling and Leach were in the scoring mix again in the eighth. The lefty fouled off six pitches before lacing a leadoff single into right. A groundout, wild pitch and RBI-two-out base knock from Leach made it 7-1.
- Bolton and Love finished off the game with scoreless frames.
Statistical Leaders
UNF
- Austin Brinling | 2-for-3, 2R, 2SB, RBI, 2BB
- Cade Reich | 4-for-5, R, SB
- Matthew Clements | 2-for-3, sac bunt
- Peter Holden | W, 5.2 IP, 5H, ER, 3BB, K, 93 pitches
- Lance Bolton | 2.1 IP, 0H, 0ER, 0BB, 3K
APSU
- Lyle Miller-Green | 2-for-3, BB
- Nathan Barksdale | 3-for-3
Notes
- Holden eclipsed 100-career innings pitched at UNF
- North Florida played its first game in Tennessee since 2019 when UNF went to Lipscomb
- It was UNF's first game outside of Florida all year
- UNF threatened all game long, scoring in four different innings. Eight of the nine Ospreys in the starting lineup notched at least one hit.
- Brinling, Runnels and Cline all walked twice apiece
- There was only one extra-base hit game in the contest, a double for Jaden Brown
- Bolton only needed 22 pitches in 2.1 frames
- Holden has gone at least five innings in all five of his starts this year
- It was UNF's first game in Tennessee since playing at Lipscomb in 2019
- Reich posted the first four-hit game of his career
- Reich has reached safely in all 18 games in which he's played this year
- There were a combined 26 runners left on base
Up Next
UNF and Austin Peay get going with game two tomorrow at 2 p.m. EST.
