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University of North Florida Athletics

Jakob Runnels walking to the plate
Natavia Reddick
Runnels' walk-off three-run homer adds to his three-homer total against UCF this year.
2
UCF UCF 15-6
4
Winner North Florida UNF 12-10
UCF UCF
15-6
2
Final
4
North Florida UNF
12-10
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UCF UCF 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 10 0
North Florida UNF 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 5 2

W: Angevine, Ty (2-0) L: K. Kramer (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Runnels’ Heroics, Record-Pitching Night Provide Walk-Off Win Against UCF

Runnels Hits Game-Winning Three-Run Homer in the Ninth, Ospreys Fan 17

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - After navigating around 16 stranded UCF runners, fanning 17 as a pitching staff and enduring three innings of consistent mist down the stretch, Jakob Runnels followed up his two-homer game at UCF March 7 with a walk-off three-run home run off the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth to down the Knights, 4-2.

North Florida (12-10) snapped UCF's five-game winning streak as a whole, giving the Knights their first road loss of the season. UCF had previously defeated Clemson, FSU and Bethune-Cookman on the road. UCF entered the game fourth in the nation in homers while UNF was looking for its first midweek win of the year.

Down 2-1 with two outs and a 1-1 count to dominant closer, Kyle Kramer, Runnels ripped a hanging curveball over the wall in left, scoring Ian Brown and Austin Brinling. 

Not lost on the night was the record-setting evening by the North Florida pitching staff. The efforts of five Osprey arms fanned 17 UCF batters, tying a North Florida single game record previously reached March 6 at No. 7 Florida State. 

Both teams scored one in the third before the pitching took over in the middle portion of the game. Tony Roca had a great outing in relief, tossing 3.2 innings of shutout ball while striking out five. UCF's Cameron Crain matched him, tossing 3.2 innings of shutout ball as well.

UCF broke the 1-1 tie in the seventh, picking up a run and three hits off of UNF reliever Avery Love. Brody Maynard and Ty Angevine tossed two combined innings of shutout ball in the eighth and ninth, stranding four to set up the dramatics.

 
UNF 4, UCF 2

Pitchers of Record
Win: Ty Angevine (2-0)
Loss: Kyle Kramer (1-1)

Line Scores
UCF | 2R, 10H, 0E, 16 LOB
UNF | 4R, 5H, 2E, 9 LOB

Behind the Line Score
  • Despite a two-out single, Will Ohme had a solid first inning that included two strikeouts.
  • UCF threatened in the second, putting two runners in scoring position, but Ohme picked up a strikeout and worked a flyout to escape the jam.
  • North Florida had consecutive hitters reach base in the second, although Jacob Marlowe retired three-straight Ospreys to end the inning.
  • Lex Boedicker opened the scoring with a bases-loaded walk to put UCF up 1-0 in the third. Tony Roca was able to work out of the inning, limiting the damage to one.
  • Sweatt opened the third inning off with a walk. He stole second and third before coming around to score on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1.
  • UNF attempted to score a run on a Cade Reich bunt, but Austin Brinling was thrown out at home by UCF reliever Cameron Crain.
  • Tony Roca stranded two runners in scoring position in the sixth with a big strikeout of UCF's Andrew Brait.
  • Lex Boedicker struck again with an RBI single through the right side, breaking the 1-1 tie in the seventh. Avery Love recorded back-to-back strikeouts to limit the damage and escape the seventh inning.
  • UCF looked to add insurance, but they stranded the bases loaded in the eighth, while also failing to capitalize on a leadoff double in the ninth.
  • Blake Pound and Brinling kept the game alive in the ninth with a walk and a single. Jakob Runnels came up clutch for the Ospreys, launching a walk-off three run home run to win the game for North Florida.

Statistical Leaders
UCF
  • Cameron Crain | 3.2 IP, W, H, 2BB, 3K
  • Ben McCabe | 2-for-3, 2H, 1BB
  • Lex Boedicker | 1-for-3, H, 2BB, 2RBI

UNF
Notes
  • Reich extended his on-base streak to 21 with a leadoff single in the second inning.
  • Runnels was previously on UCF earlier in his career.
  • Will Ohme turned in the second start of his North Florida career.
  • The 2.1 innings of work was the second longest outing for Ohme this season.
  • Sweatt walked twice in the game, which ties him for the team lead with 15.
  • Nine different Osprey's reached base with seven of them reaching via the free pass.
  • North Florida pitching combined to strikeout UCF hitters 17 times, tying a school record.
  • Tony Roca surpassed 150 strikeouts in his UNF career.
  • Jakob Runnels is now tied with Alex Lodise as the team leader in home runs.
  • It was the first North Florida walk-off home run since March 2, 2022, when Sweatt walked off the USF Bulls.
  • It was UNF's third walk-off win of the season.
  • UNF is now 16-18 all-time against UCF.
  • UNF's last two wins against UCF have come by a 4-2 result at Harmon Stadium.
  • North Florida scored four in the bottom of the eighth during UNF's last win March 13, 2022.
 
Up Next
UNF welcomes Stetson in the ASUN-home opener Friday, March 24 at 6:05 p.m.
 
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