Baseball Fights to Gritty Road Win at USF, 5-4

Tuesday, April 4

Tampa, Fla.

6 p.m.

University of North Florida

16-13

USF

12-18

North Florida

South Florida

Roca worked 3.1 innings of one-run ball Tuesday.

Photo by: Brock Borgeson

4/4/2023 10:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Clements Makes Running Throw on Groundout With Tying Run at Third

TAMPA - With two outs and USF (12-18) batting with the tying run at third base, Matthew Clements charged a chopper to third and threw on the run to get USF's Eric Snow at first, ending the game in favor of UNF, 5-4, in 10 innings Tuesday, April 4.

North Florida (16-13) took the lead in the seventh, although USF tied it up in the bottom of the ninth. Austin Brinling singled to center and later scored on an RBI base hit from Jakob Runnels in the top of the tenth before shutting down USF with some great defensive plays in the 10th.

UNF 5, USF 4 (10 innings)

Pitchers of Record
Win: Lance Bolton (3-0)
Loss: Riley Skeen (0-2)

Line Scores
UNF | 5R, 6H, 2E, 6 LOB
USF | 4R, 10H, 4E, 4 LOB

Behind the Line Score

Both teams were quiet through two and a half frames until USF took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run from Joaquin Monque.
UNF responded with a three-spot in the fourth. Austin Brinling walked, Jakob Runnels singled and Alex Lodise hit a long fly ball to the track in left that was dropped, allowing Brinling to score. Cherokee Nichols added another with an RBI groundout and Cade Reich completed the scoring with an RBI double to the base of the wall in right.
USF got back at UNF in their half of that inning though. Eric Snow hit a solo homer to left and a single and two errors plated another.
Avery Love made some big pitches in the fifth to fan two and strand two in the fifth.
Nichols gave one a ride in the sixth, driving one to the track, but it was reeled in to end the frame.
UNF took the lead in the seventh after Reich made it halfway to the cycle with a triple and scored on an Aidan Sweatt RBI groundout
USF got even in the ninth after a triple fell just fair in the right field corner and a wild pitch brought in the tying run.
The next half inning, Austin Brinling ignited UNF with a single to center. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt sent Brinling to third, just before Runnels laced an RBI single to center.
UNF made great plays defensively in the tenth to shut down USF. Reich made a play at the fence to open the inning before Clements made the game-winning play on a chopper to third.

Statistical Leaders
UNF

Jakob Runnels | 2-for-5, R, RBI
Cade Reich | 2-for-4, RBI, 2B, 3B
Avery Love | 5.0 IP, ND, 7H, 2ER, 0BB, 2K
Tony Roca | 3.1 IP, 2H, ER, 0BB, 4K

USF

Eric Snow | 3-for-5, HR
Joaquin Monque | 2-for-4, HR

Notes

UNF has won six-straight games against USF since 2019
Bolton improves to 3-0 on the season
North Florida started the second half of the regular season schedule today
North Florida is 4-2 in one-run games this season
UNF played its first of 10-straight games in the Sunshine State
Love went a season long 5.0 innings
Roca has gone 7.0 innings allowing just one earned run in two combined games against American Athletic Conference teams in UCF and USF
Reich registered his first career-triple
UNF's pitching staff fanned eight while not permitting a walk, the first time North Florida hasn't permitted a free pass this year. It was the first time since April 29 of last year that UNF didn't allow a walk.
UNF is 14-10 all-time against USF
UNF is 3-0 in extra inning games this year
It was UNF's first road non-conference win