Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida baseball team rode off in style before its week off with an 8-1 win over Bethune- Cookman on Thursday night at Harmon Stadium.

Junior starting RHP Ty Pryor led UNF (24- 19) on the mound, allowing just one run on two hits in 7.0 innings. He struck out eight batters, including three looking. Sophomore T.J. Thompson had a solid night at the plate for the Ospreys, pounding out three hits, which included a three-run triple.

The game started out as a pitcher's duel, with each team not able to make any noise at the plate through the first three innings. But senior Travis Martin changed that in the bottom of the fourth when he scored on a fielding error by BCU second baseman Mark Brooks.

Freshman Sam Perry began to bust it open in the bottom of the fifth when he hit a towering solo home run to left center. Martin followed it up moments later with an RBI double to give the Ospreys a 3-0 lead.

UNF tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to effectively put the game out of reach for the Wildcats (25-17). The onslaught of runs was highlighted by Thompson's three-run triple to right center that drove in sophomore Ryan Lowe, senior Chad Knight and senior T.J. Gaudy. Thompson later scored on a wild pitch.

The Ospreys tied their season-low of hits allowed with four and gave up just one run for the third time this season. UNF improved to 10-7 over in-state opponents this season and recorded at least 10 hits for the fifth consecutive game.

UNF will return to action at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 2 against cross-town rival Jacksonville for a three-game series at Harmon Stadium. The series will determine which school wins the SunTrust Old Wooden Barrel in the 2007-08 SunTrust River City Rumble. The Ospreys will need to win two of three games to retain the title.