Baseball Outlasts SIU for Game 1 Win

Friday, February 17

Jacksonville, Fla.

6 p.m.

University of North Florida

1-0

Southern Illinois

0-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Illinois	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	4	7	5
North Florida	2	1	0	0	0	2	0	2	X	7	11	2

2/17/2012 10:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: North Florida Athletics

Boxscore

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball team opened the 2012 season with a 7-4 victory over Southern Illinois on Friday night at Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium. The Ospreys led early, but had to hold off a Saluki comeback for the first win of the season.

Offensively, North Florida out hit SIU, 11-to-7, with four different UNF players posting multiple hits. Corey Bass, Tyler Marincov, Paul Karmeris and Drew Weeks each had two hits apiece. Ryan Roberson and P. Karmeris led the team with two RBI a piece. Roberson and Bryan Mathews each had a double in the game. Seven different Ospreys scored a run in the victory.

On the mound, starting pitcher Tyler Moore earned a no decision. The sophomore worked 4.2 innings, surrendering three hits. Moore allowed three runs, but no earned runs. The sophomore recorded a career-high eight strikeouts compared to just one walk.

Moore was relieved by lefthander Evan Stermer. The southpaw tossed 2.2 innings of relief to earn the victory. Stermer scattered three hits, allowing just one run. He fanned two batters and did not allow a walk.

Freshman Spencer Brown threw one inning, allowing a hit and walking a batter. Senior Chandler Jagodzinski earned his first save of 2012, retiring the final two batters of the game. For Jagodzinski, it was his fifth save as an Osprey, moving the transfer into a tie for third place with teammate Andrew Karmeris and former Osprey Casey Medlen (2010-11) in North Florida history in Division I career saves.

For the Salukis, starting pitcher Cody Forsythe earned a no-decision. He worked 5.0 innings, scattering five hits and allowing three runs with six strikeouts. After allowing three runs, he retired 13 consecutive batters at one point. SIU's Aaron Snyder took the loss allowing a pair of run in 2.0 innings of work. Offensively for SIU, Austin Montgomery posted three of the Saluki's seven hits.

North Florida was the first to scratch the scoreboard, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Bass led off the game with a single to right field and Marincov delivered a two-out single to give the Ospreys a pair of base runners. Roberson, who missed the 2011 season with an injury, doubled down the left field line to score both runners and give UNF a 2-0 edge. The base hit by Roberson extended his hit streak to eight games, dating back to the 2010 season.

The Ospreys added a run in the bottom of the second inning. Weeks led off the inning with a single to center field. The rookie advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score on Mathews' RBI double down the left field line.

With UNF leading 3-0, SIU rallied in the top of the fifth inning. Back-to-back singles started the inning. The Ospreys were able to strikeout the next batter, but a walk loaded the bases. With the Salukis threatening, North Florida recorded the second out of the inning on Moore's eight strikeout of the game. A throwing error allowed two runs to score and left SIU with runners on the corners. A failed pick off attempt allowed the third run of the inning to score and knotted the score at 3-3. The Ospreys prevented any further damage with a inning-ending strikeout.

North Florida regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Roberson was hit by a pitch to give the Ospreys a base runner. Alex Bacon singled to left center field but reached second on a fielding error by SIU. With Bacon on second and Roberson on third, P. Karmeris gave UNF the lead, 5-3, with a two-run single to left field.

Southern Illinois trimmed the North Florida lead to just one with a run in the top of the eighth inning. SIU used a single and a double to score a run and cut the Osprey advantage to 5-4.

UNF responded with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, P. Karmeris singled to third base and advanced to second on a throwing error. Weeks singled to give North Florida runners on the corners. Stermer followed by reaching on a fielder's choice. He advanced to second on a second error in the inning. P. Karmeris scored on the play to extend the lead. Bass pushed the UNF lead to 7-4 with an RBI single down the left field line.

Brown and Jagodzinski closed the door in the ninth inning on a potential SIU comeback, securing the victory for the Ospreys.

North Florida and SIU continue the series with a game scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. Live stats for the game will be available, but there will be NO ASun.TV for Saturday's game.