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University of North Florida Athletics

Matthew Clements at third base
Noah Thomas
Clements made a game-saving diving play on a liner with the bags loaded in the night cap.
6
Fordham FOR 0-8
7
Winner North Florida UNF 6-5
Fordham FOR
0-8
6
Final
7
North Florida UNF
6-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Fordham FOR 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 12 3
North Florida UNF 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 2 X 7 7 0

W: Bolton, Lance (2-0) L: SCOTT, Nate (0-1) S: Halstead, Stephen (2)

5
Fordham FOR 0-9
6
Winner North Florida UNF 7-5
Fordham FOR
0-9
5
Final
6
North Florida UNF
7-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Fordham FOR 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 11 0
North Florida UNF 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 0 1 6 12 2

W: Howell, Finn (1-0) L: MAEKER, Trey (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Clutch Ospreys Sweep Saturday Twin Bill Against Fordham

UNF Walks Off Via Squeeze Play in Night Cap

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Resilience rang throughout UNF baseball's doubleheader sweep of Fordham (0-9) Saturday as the Ospreys (7-5) erased back-to-back four-run deficits to take two from the Rams in the lone doubleheader on the 2023 slate.

UNF scored two in the ninth to take the lead and hang on with a 7-6 win in game one. The Ospreys worked their way back from a 4-0 deficit in the second game and forced extras with big defensive plays and an eighth-inning homer from Alex Lodise. In the 10th, Drew Leinenbach put down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Ian Brown for the game winner. 

UNF has won three-straight games and has ensured a weekend-series win for the third-straight week. The Ospreys tallied their first one-day doubleheader sweep since downing Western Michigan twice March 9.

Game 1 | UNF 7, Fordham 6

Pitchers of Record
Win: Lance Bolton (2-0)
Loss: Nate Scott (0-1)
Save: Stephen Halstead (2)

Line Scores
FORDHAM | 6R, 12H, 3E, 8 LOB
UNF | 7R, 7H, 0E, 9 LOB

Behind the Line Score
  • Fordham threatened in the first, but Jakob Runnels caught a runner off first on a double-steal blunder. Tony Roca followed with the second strikeout of the inning to close things out
  • Alex Lodise walked with one out, stole second and scored on a two-out two-strike single from Cherokee Nichols, scoring Lodise after a nifty slide at home
  • Fordham found a big two-out rally in the third, plating five with five two-out hits
  • UNF got one back on a Gabriel Esquivel sac fly, plating Austin Brinling after he reached on a hit by pitch and moved to third on a Runnels single through the left side
  • The free pass haunted Fordham in the fifth, as two-RBI walks and an RBI hit batter evened it up, 5-5
  • Fordham nearly had a grand slam in the seventh, but the potential slam was ruled foul just before Lance Bolton spun a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
  • A wild eighth inning brought two in for UNF in the eighth as North Florida took a 7-5 lead. Cade Reich opened with a walk, went to second on a sac bunt and eventually scored after a Dallen Leach comebacker was thrown down the line. A pair of wild pitches scored Finn Howell after he pinch ran for Leach
  • Fordham made it interesting with a leadoff single and double, but a crucial relay from Drew Leinenbach in right, on to Sweatt and to Howell at third got the baserunner.
  • After an infield single, Stephen Halstead came in and got a popout and swinging strikeout to earn his second save of the year
  • UNF's bullpen was phenomenal, going 6.1 innings while permitting just one earned. Trent Becker, Bolton and Halstead combined to fan seven and not allow a walk.

Statistical Leaders

FORDHAM
  • Ryan Thiesse | 3-for-5, R
  • Cian Sahler | 3-for-5, R, 2RBI, 2B
  • Daniel Bucciero | 2-for-5, R, RBI, 2B

UNF
Game 2 | UNF 6, Fordham 5 (10 innings)

Pitchers of Record
Win: Finn Howell (1-0)
Loss: Trey Maeker (0-2)

Line Scores
FORDHAM | 5R, 11H, 0E, 9 LOB
UNF | 6R, 12H, 2E, 8 LOB

Behind the Line Score
  • Sweatt put down a picture-perfect leadoff-bunt single in the first and Esquivel reached on a walk but Fordham stranded two Ospreys in the first.
  • Five-straight singles followed by a misplayed liner resulted in four runs for the Rams in the third
  • The Rams added a run in the fifth after an inning-opening miscue was followed by a two-out RBI
  • Brinling ripped a chopper inside the first base bag with two outs in the fifth, getting on with a double. Leach flared a single to right center, plating Brinling for UNF's first run
  • UNF made some noise, cutting the deficit to 5-4 in the sixth. Leinenbach doubled in Peyton Sybrandt and later scored from second on a wild pitch alongside Lodise as the pitch caromed towards the third base dugout.
  • The Ospreys got even on Lodise's clutch home run to left center with nobody on and nobody out in the eighth.
  • Brody Maynard entered with two runners on and one out in the ninth, inducing a 1-6-3 double play on the first pitch he delivered.
  • Clutch defensive plays saved the day in the 10th as Matthew Clements dove to snag a line shot with the bags loaded and two outs.

Statistical Leaders
FORDHAM
  • Ryan Thiesse | 2-for-4, 2R
  • Daniel Bucciero | 2-for-2, RBI
  • Chris Genaro | 2-for-3, R

UNF
Notes
  • Howell earned his first-career win, needing just one pitch
  • It was UNF's second walk-off win this season after opening the year with a 3-2 victory against Murray State
  • North Florida is 3-1 in one-run ball games this year
  • UNF leads the all-time series with Fordham, 4-2
  • Madonna spun a quality start in the second game
  • Lodise has hit two home runs in the eighth inning this year
  • Leinenbach had a career-best three hits
  • Halstead now has eight-career saves
  • UNF's team-batting average is up to .301 on the year
  • North Florida has had five double-digit hit performances
  • Bolton, Maynard and Halstead all have sub-3.00 ERAs 
  • Becker spun a sparkling 3.1 innings in his longest debut of his UNF career
 

Up Next
UNF finishes the series tomorrow at 12:05 p.m.
 
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