JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A quality start from
Will Ross and 11 hits helped fuel an 8-4 win for North Florida against Jacksonville University, Friday night from Harmon Stadium.
Trailing 1-0 in the second,
Carter White tripled with one out for North Florida (11-7, 1-0 ASUN). With a runner at third,
Brady Browning rolled a ground ball, scored White, and put UNF ahead 2-1.
Leading by one in the third,
Nick Monile singled with one out.
Mitchell Collins walked and two batters later,
Jabin Bates smacked an RBI single which extended the North Florida lead.
The Ospreys continued to hit the ball hard in the fifth.
Drew Leinenbach walked to lead off the inning. With a runner at first, Monile laced an RBI triple. He scored a few pitches later on a wild pitch which gave UNF a 5-1 advantage.
Up 5-1, Browning walked with one out in the sixth.
Finn Howell doubled and the Ospreys put two runners on. With runners at second and third, Leinenback cracked a two-run single. He advanced to second an errant throw. Leinenback moved an additional 90 feet on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from Collins.
Jacksonville (9-8, 0-1 ASUN) answered in the seventh. With one out, Jaden Bastian doubled. One batter later, Jonah Shields smoked an RBI double which made it 8-2.
The Dolphins added another run in the eighth inning. Chandler Howard worked a leadoff walk. Following a strikeout, he advanced to second on a passed ball, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch.
Trailing 8-3, Shields (1) crushed a solo home run with one out in the ninth.
JU struck first in the top of the first. Bastian singled to start the game. Shields advanced Bastian to second on a ground ball. With a runner at second Josh Steidl smacked an RBI single which gave the Dolphins an early 1-0 lead.
Ross had another stellar outing for North Florida. Ross tossed six innings of one-run ball and struck out four. He escaped some early trouble and recorded a quality start.
Pitchers of Record
Win:
Will Ross (3-1)
Loss: Richard Long (3-2)
Line Score
JU | 4 R, 11 H, 0 E, 10 LOB
UNF | 8 R, 11 H, 2 E, 10 LOB
Statistical Leaders
JU
Jonah Shields | 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, R, 2B
Josh Steidal | 3-5, RBI
UNF
Will Ross | 6.0 IP, W, QS, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Drew Leinenbach | 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Nick Monile | 2-4, 3B, RBI, 3 R, BB
UP NEXT
Game two of the weekend series is Mar. 15 at 3 p.m. UNF will broadcast the game on and ESPN+. Updates will be made through live stats, as well as on X/Twitter at @OspreyBSB and Instagram at @OspreysBSB.
