JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida baseball (7-4) dropped its midweek game against USF (6-5), falling in eight innings on Tuesday afternoon at Harmon Stadium.
UNF kept the game close, at one point leading 5-4, but pitching faltered late. The loss is the first for the Ospreys since Feb. 21.
North Florida opened the scoring with two runs in the second.
Drew Leinenbach plated another run to add to his season total.
Matthew Clements would then scamper home on a wild pitch.
Jakob Runnels then drove in a run in the third to extend the Osprey lead.
Tony Roca put together another outstanding start, tossing three scoreless innings before being replaced by
Brody Maynard. USF's Bobby Boser made it a one run game, sending a baseball 470 feet in the fourth. He would tie the game in the fifth on a sacrifice fly. John Montes would single home another run to give USF the lead.
The lead would not last long, as
Cherokee Nichols tied the game on an RBI single.
Tripp McKinlay would score on a wild pitch, avoiding the tag by reaching his hand over the catcher's mitt. UNF looked to hold the lead in the seventh, but an error from Clements tied the game.
The game got away from UNF in the eighth. North Florida would allow 12 runs to cross and would walk seven. Bobby Boser would hit his second home run of the game and USF would finish off the victory in eight.
USF 17, UNF 5
Pitchers of Record
Win: Nick Pineda (1-0)
Loss: Lance Bolton (0-1)
Line Scores
UNF | 5 R, 9 H, 3 E, 4 LOB
USF | 17 R, 13 H, 0 E, 12 LOB
Statistical Leaders
UNF
Cherokee Nichols | 3-3, 2B, RBI, R
Tony Roca | 3.0 IP, 2 H, 4 K, 0 BB
USF
Bobby Boser | 2-4, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R, BB
John Montes | 5-6, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2B, SB
Eric Snow | 2-3, RBI, R, SB, BB, HBP
NOTES
- UNF dropped their first game since Feb. 21.
- Ospreys' six-game win streak against USF was snapped.
- Andrew Vaughn made his collegiate debut.
- Ty Angevine made his '24 season debut.
- North Florida used ten pitchers in the midweek loss.
UP NEXT
The Ospreys welcome North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, Mar. 5, with a 6:05 p.m., first pitch, at Harmon Stadium.