CARROLLTON, Ga. – North Florida baseball handled West Georgia, 5-3, at Cole Field on Friday afternoon. 
 
Junior right-hander Clay Hendry posted a solid outing on the mound for North Florida. He struck out eight batters and allowed three runs over six innings of work to earn his fifth win of the season. 
 
West Georgia opened the scoring with a two runs in the second inning before North Florida answered with a pair of its own in the third. 
 
Redshirt sophomore Nick Monile and freshman Seth Alford opened the third when it tallied back-to-back singles to place runners on first and second. Sophomore Mitchell Collins beat out a bunt in the ensuing at bat to load the bases for senior Cade Bush. Bush reached on a throwing error that plated two runs and tied the score. 
 
North Florida secured its first lead of the game after redshirt freshman Carter White scored Collins from third with a ground ball to shortstop to move ahead 3-2 in the third. Senior Drew Leinenbach added to North Florida's lead in the top of the fifth with an RBI single to left field to make it 4-2.
 
Another run by West Georgia in the bottom half of the fifth inning brought the margin within one. 
 
Junior Eric Fouraker provided North Florida with an insurance run in the eighth inning on a double to center field.
 
PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Clay Hendry (5-3)
Loss: Seth Dudley (3-3)
 
LINE SCORES
UNF | 5 R, 10 H, 0 E, 8 LOB
UWG | 3 R, 6 H, 2 E, 3 LOB 
 
STATISTICAL LEADERS
UNF
Clay Hendry | 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 8 K, BB
Drew Leinenbach | 2-4, RBI
Nick Monile | 2-5, R
Seth Alford | 2-5, R
 
UWG
Blake Bradford | 2-3, 2 RBI, R
Jack Witner | 1-4, RBI
 
UP NEXT
The series rubber match at Cole Field is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday.