Lodise’s Long Ball, Bullpen Bolster Ospreys in 8-4 Win Against Fordham

Sunday, March 5

Jacksonville, Fla.

12:05 p.m.

University of North Florida

8-5

Fordham

0-10

Fordham

North Florida

Lodise's three-run homer put UNF ahead for good Sunday. It was his fifth this year.

Photo by: Noah Thomas

Lodise’s Long Ball, Bullpen Bolster Ospreys in 8-4 Win Against Fordham

3/5/2023 5:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

UNF Completes Four-Game Sweep of Rams, First Four-Game Sweep Since 2015

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Alex Lodise hit the game-winning opposite field three-run home run in the fifth inning and North Florida's bullpen spun 4.2 innings of one-run ball as the Ospreys (8-5) completed a four-game sweep of Fordham (0-10) with an 8-4 win Sunday, March 5.

UNF earned its first four-game sweep since the 2015 season when North Florida took all four games from Brown March 13-15, 2015. It was also UNF's first series sweep since the Ospreys blanked Jacksonville April 23-25, 2021.

2021 was also the last time UNF has won four games in a row. North Florida has taken all three weekend series thus far during 2023. Lodise's go-ahead bomb was his fifth this year, good for tied-for-fifth in UNF history among freshmen in a single season.

UNF 8, FORDHAM 4

Pitchers of Record
Win: Ty Angevine (1-0)
Loss: Dominic Cunha (0-1)
Save: Stephen Halstead (3)

Line Scores
FORDHAM | 4R, 9H, 0E, 11 LOB
UNF | 8R, 9R, E, 7 LOB

Behind the Line Score

UNF scored first, pushing one across in the first. Aidan Sweatt singled, Austin Brinling walked and a double steal moved them up 90 feet. Lodise scored Sweatt with a sac fly down the left field line.
A hit batter and walk resulted in two Fordham runs on a sac fly and bloop single in the third.
No hits were needed in the third as four walks, featuring Cade Reich's RBI walk, plated Sweatt to tie it, 2-2.
The leadoff walk loomed again in the fifth as Fordham pushed another across with a sac fly.
It could have been much more for Fordham in the fifth, but Ty Angevine got a strikeout and fly out to strand them loaded.
North Florida exploded for four runs in the fifth, getting UNF out to a 6-3 lead. After UNF was held without a hit since Sweatt opened the game with a single, Gabriel Esquivel evened the game with an RBI single to right.
Lodise sent UNF in front, 6-3, scoring Esquivel and Jakob Runnels with a three-run opposite field home run to right.
Fordham loaded the bags again in the sixth, but Angevine got out of it with a harmless unassisted groundout to Matthew Clements at third.
A two-out RBI double for Fordham made it 6-4 in the seventh.
An insurance run came across the plate in the seventh for the Ospreys. Runnels and Esquivel started things off with a single before a wild pitch pushed them over 90 feet. Reich scored Runnels with a sac fly.
Runnels added more to the lead with an RBI single through the left side during a three-hit frame.
Stephen Halstead earned his second save in as many days, coaxing a game-ending double play to Sweatt.

Statistical Leaders
FORDHAM

Daniel Bucciero | 2-for-4, RBI
Zach Selinger | 2-for-5, R

UNF

Aidan Sweatt | 2-for-4, 2R
Jakob Runnels | 2-for-4, 2R, RBI
Gabriel Esquivel | 2-for-2, R, RBI, 2BB
Alex Lodise | 1-for-2, 4RBI, R, BB
Stephen Halstead | SV, 2.0 IP, 0H, 0ER, BB, K

Notes

Eric Fouraker made his first-career start
UNF has won each weekend series this season
This is the lone four-game series on the season
Lodise is already tied for fifth in UNF freshman single season history for home runs
North Florida is 8-4 at home
The Ospreys are 6-2 all-time against Fordham
Halstead is tied for tenth all time in saves with nine
UNF swept a four-game series for the first time since sweeping Brown March 13-15, 2015
UNF swept a series for the first time since sweeping JU in a three-game series April 23-25, 2021
Lodise leads the team with five home runs
Angevine earned his first-career win

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How good is @Alexlodise - his 5th homer is a go-ahead three-run shot ??#SWOOP pic.twitter.com/0zwXXtXj1L
— UNF Baseball (@OspreyBSB) March 5, 2023