Madonna Deals, Six-Run Eighth Fuels Baseball to 9-3 Win at UNA

Saturday, May 6

Florence, Ala.

4 p.m. (EST)

University of North Florida

24-23, 0

North Alabama

9-35, 0

North Florida

North Alabama

Dominick Madonna throwing a pitch at EKU

Madonna has gone at least seven innings in four-straight outings.

Photo by: EKU Athletics

Madonna Deals, Six-Run Eighth Fuels Baseball to 9-3 Win at UNA

5/6/2023 10:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Ospreys Clinch Series, Runnels and Lodise Go Back-to-Back in the 8th

FLORENCE, Ala. - Dominick Madonna spun a masterful 8.0-inning effort on the hill and North Florida baseball (24-23, 10-13 ASUN) scored six two-out runs in the eighth as the Ospreys upended North Alabama, 9-3, Saturday, May 6.

UNF clinches its first road-series win of the season with the victory, moving to 3-1 all-time in games against North Alabama (9-34, 3-20 ASUN). North Florida did all its scoring over two innings, plating three in the fifth and five in the eighth.

With two outs, Jakob Runnels launched a grand slam to center, Alex Lodise followed with a homer to left and Cade Reich tripled in Cherokee Nichols to complete the explosive eighth. On the hill, Madonna won his seventh game, permitting just two earned runs over a stellar eight-inning performance.

UNF 9, UNA 3

Pitchers of Record
Win: Dominick Madonna (7-2)
Loss: Brycen Parish (0-3)

Line Scores
UNF | 9R, 13H, 2E, 11 LOB
UNA | 3R, 7H, E, 8 LOB

Behind the Line Score

UNF got the first two on in the second, but UNA escaped the jam with a fly out, strikeout and groundout
The Lions pushed across one in the bottom half. A Gehrig Frei double was followed by a groundout that moved him up. An error allowed Frei to score with two outs.
UNA stretched two two-out singles into a run in the fourth.
But, UNF's streaky hitting from Friday transitioned into the fifth as UNF put up three runs for a 3-2 lead. Matthew Clements singled, Aidan Sweatt hooked an RBI double down the left field line and Austin Brinling split the right center gap with his own. After an impressive 5-3 double play, Nichols came up clutch, lacing an RBI single through the left side.
UNA got one back to tie it in the fifth, but Dominick Madonna did a good job of limiting damage as the Lions got the first two on in the fifth. Two singles, a fly out and RBI groundout tied it up.
North Florida blew it open with six two-out runs in the 8th. Clements singled, Sweatt reached on his own infield hit and Brinling got hit by a pitch. Despite being down in the count, Runnels deposited a grand slam over the wall in center. Just seconds later, Lodise launched a high solo homer to left.
After Nichols got on, Cade Reich tripled him home to complete the scoring.
Madonna got through another scoreless and Will Ohme retired the Lions in the ninth to secure the win.

Statistical Leaders
UNF

Aidan Sweatt | 2-for-5, 2R, RBI, BB, 2B
Austin Brinling | 2-for-5, R, RBI, 2B
Jakob Runnels | 2-for-4, GS, BB, 2R
Alex Lodise | 2-for-4, HR, BB
Matthew Clements | 2-for-5, 2R

UNA

Jonathan Lane | 2-for-5
Gehrig Frei | 1-for-3, 2R
Jacob James | ND, 6.0 IP, 7H, 3ER, 4BB, 3K

.@dommadonna_ freezes him and he's through 8!#SWOOP pic.twitter.com/tnPHXP6S5Z
— UNF Baseball (@OspreyBSB) May 6, 2023

Notes

The top four in UNF's lineup combined for eight hits, seven RBI and six runs
UNF is 3-1 all-time against UNA
It was UNF's first road-series win
Madonna has seven wins, the most for a UNF pitcher since righty Nick Marchese went 7-0 in 2019
Madonna has won five of his last seven decisions
Madonna has gone at least seven innings in his last four starts. He surpassed 100-career innings in the effort
All of UNF's runs came across two innings