GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNC Greensboro held a 4-3 lead though three innings, but North Florida ran off nine unanswered runs as the Spartans fell, 12-5, to the Ospreys on Wednesday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Kyle Westwood picked up the win for the Ospreys (24-20) after pitching the final seven innings of relief, while allowing just one run on four hits. UNCG starter Blake Hassebrock was credited with the loss after giving up nine runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Corey Overholtzer led the Spartans (20-26) on Wednesday as he went 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Lloyd Enzor, Ed Jayjack and Kris Richards also added RBI for UNCG.
Andrew Karmeris led North Florida as he went 3-5 with five RBI and two runs scored, while Justin Preckajlo added three hits himself with two RBI and four runs scored. Preston Hale also had three hits on the afternoon with an RBI and two runs scored.
Both offenses came out hot to begin the day as they both scored runs in the first two innings. With one out in the top of the first, Preckajlo hit a solo home run to right center and Hale scored on a sacrifice fly after walking earlier in the inning to give the Ospreys a 2-0 lead.
UNCG responded with a run in the bottom half of the first as Chris Barker drew a walk. Enzor followed with a walk two batters later before Jayjack singled up the middle to score Barker and pull UNCG within 2-1.
The Ospreys got that run right back though as Sam Perry hit a two-out double in the top of the second inning to left center and then scored on a single by T.J. Gavlik to make it 3-1.
The Spartans continued to match the Ospreys as they tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Richards led off the inning with a walk and then Alex Frederick reached on a UNF error. The runners moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Harry Slade before Overholtzer hit a two-run single to center field to tie the game at three.
UNCG would go on to take the lead in the bottom of the third as Ray Quinones hit a single to right field and then scored later in the inning on a groundout by Richards to put the Spartans ahead, 4-3.
The score would stay that way until the top of the fifth inning when the Osprey took the lead for good with a pair of runs. Preckajlo hit a one-out single to left field to get things going before scoring on a double to left field by Karmeris to tie the game at four. Karmeris would then go on to score on a single up the middle by T.J. Thompson to give UNF a 5-4 advantage.
The Ospreys would take complete control of the game in the sixth inning as they put up four runs in the inning, highlighted by a three-run home run to left field by Karmeris, to take a 9-4 lead.
North Florida wasn't done there as they put together a two-out rally in the top of the eighth inning. Preckajlo got it started with a double to left center and then scored as Hale followed with a single to left center. Karmeris kept it going with a double to left field that scored Hale from first and made it an 11-4 ballgame.
After the Ospreys added another run in the top of the ninth, Overholtzer hit a triple in the bottom of the ninth before scoring on a sacrifice fly to make the final score, 12-5.
The Spartans now have a week off before hosting Wake Forest on May 12 at 6 p.m. at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
AGATE
North Florida 12, UNC Greensboro 5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
North Florida....... 210 024 021 - 12 15
1 (24-20)
UNC Greensboro...... 121 000 001 - 5 6
1 (20-26)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: North Florida - TURNER, Jon; WESTWOOD, Kyle(3) and DAHL,
Kyle. UNC Greensboro - Blake Hassebrock; Wes McBride(6); Zach
Furl(9) and Ed Jayjack.
Win-WESTWOOD, Kyle(1-3) Loss-Blake Hassebrock(0-5)
T-2:34 A-127
HR UNF - PRECKAJLO, Justin; KARMERIS, Andrew.
Weather: 83 and partly cloudy
TURNER faced 1 batter in the 3rd.
McBride faced 2 batters in the 9th.
- UNCG -