Baseball Wins Fifth-Straight Game, Quiets FGCU Friday Night

Friday, May 12

Jacksonville, Fla.

6:05 p.m.

University of North Florida

27-23, 12-13

FGCU

36-13, 18-7

Florida Gulf Coast

North Florida

Brinling added insurance with a three-run homer in the eighth.

Photo by: Noah Thomas

5/12/2023 9:46:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Ospreys Pound Two Three-Run Homers, Holden Spins Six-Inning Gem

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The winning momentum continued Friday for North Florida as UNF belted a pair of three-run home runs and Peter Holden and Lance Bolton spun nine innings of one-run ball as the Ospreys (27-23, 12-13 ASUN) quieted ASUN-leading FGCU (36-13, 18-7 ASUN), 9-1, May 12.

Holden dealt, twirling 100 pitches while permitting just one run on a solo home run. Bolton came in and picked up where he left off against UNA, spinning three scoreless behind three-run homers from Jakob Runnels and Austin Brinling.

FGCU entered the game leading the country in home runs and slugging, while North Florida pitching also stymied Brian Ellis' NCAA-leading 117-game reached base streak.

.@peterholden40 carved his way to a big win tonight - hear from the lefty #SWOOP pic.twitter.com/X4Ww4belyZ
— UNF Baseball (@OspreyBSB) May 13, 2023

UNF 9, FGCU 1

Pitchers of Record
Win: Peter Holden (4-4)
Loss: Tyler Tipton (1-1)
Save: Lance Bolton (4)

Line Scores
FGCU | 1R, 5H, 1E, 8 LOB
UNF | 9R, 14H, 0E, 6 LOB

Brinling golfs one to the trees for another 3-run tater ??

9-1 Ospreys! pic.twitter.com/XNYUcw82hB
— UNF Baseball (@OspreyBSB) May 13, 2023

Behind the Line Score

Cherokee Nichols got the scoring started once more, ripping a solo home run off the scoreboard in left on a knee-high fastball in the second.
Three-straight two-out singles, concluded with Dallen Leach's flare down the right field line, scored Cade Reich for a 2-0 lead in the fourth.
The top of the order did its job with Austin Brinling ripping a 1-2 curve down the line for a double and Aidan Sweatt legging out a single. One batter later, Jakob Runnels took a belt high pitch over the scoreboard for a three-run homer and a 5-0 lead in the fifth.
FGCU finally scratched across a run when Edrick Felix hit a solo homer in the sixth.
UNF got one back after Gabriel Esquivel and Leach singled before a groundout plated the first baseman.
Bolton only permitted one hit as he worked a three-inning save and Brinling added insurance with a three-run home run to right.

Statistical Leaders
UNF

Austin Brinling | 3-for-5, 2R, 3RBI, HR
Aidan Sweatt | 2-for-5, R
Gabriel Esquivel | 3-for-3, 2R
Peter Holden | W, 6.0 IP, 4H, ER, 2BB, 5K, 100 pitches
Lance Bolton | SV, 3.0 IP, H, 0ER, 2BB, 2K

FGCU

Edrick Felix | 2-for-3, HR
Wilmer & Cole | 1-for-3, BB

Going to need to fish it out of the pond, @RUNNELSJAKOB pummels a three-run homer!#SWOOP pic.twitter.com/iUo3Vc10Yt
— UNF Baseball (@OspreyBSB) May 12, 2023

Notes

North Florida had four with multi-hit games
UNF had two players with three-run home run nights
UNF has tied the program DI-era record for homers in a season with 71
The Ospreys have won a season-best five-straight games
Esquivel posted his second-straight multi-hit game and his second three-hit game of the year
It was UNF's 23rd double-digit hit performance of the season
Holden has gone at least five innings in 23 of his 24 starts
Bolton posted his fourth save. He has gone 8.2 scoreless frames over the last two appearances