Box score


JACKSONVILLE, Fla.  – A ninth-inning Jaguar rally that produced four runs fell just short as North Florida took an 8-7 series-clinching win over University of South Alabama baseball Saturday at Harmon Stadium.

USA (4-11) trailed 8-3 heading into the top of the ninth and loaded the bases with two outs after cutting the UNF lead to one run on RBI singles by Nolan Earley and Brad Hook, and an RBI double by Jordan Patterson. But with the tying run 90 feet away and the go-ahead run on second base, UNF closer Tyler Moore recorded his second strikeout of the game to clinch the win and the series for the Ospreys.

UNF left-hander Michael Renner (3-1) tossed 7 2/3 innings and allowed three runs while scattering eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk to earn the win. Moore earned his third save of the season in 1 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Jaguar left-hander Andrew Fonzi (0-2) suffered the loss in 3 2/3 innings pitched, and allowed six runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

The Ospreys matched their hit total in game one on Saturday with 15 hits, led by Ryan Roberson who went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, one RBI and two runs scored. Five different Ospreys, including Roberson, recorded multiple hits in the game.

Patterson finished 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI and a run scored to pace the Jags at the plate. Earley went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Hook, Cofield and Nick Zaharion also drove in one run apiece.
    
Zaharion gave the Jags a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an RBI single that scored Whitt Dorsey, who reached base on a hit by pitch.

UNF tied the game in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI groundout by Andrew Karmeris that scored Corey Bass after he led off the inning with a double.

The Ospreys took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Garrick Ferguson that scored Roberson, who led off the inning with a double down the left-field line. Alex Bacon and Joe Iorio also reached on singles to load the bases, and UNF added its second run in the frame on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Bass. Ferguson later scored on a double steal to increase the UNF lead to 4-1.

USA cut the UNF lead to 4-2 in the top of the third on an RBI groundout by Earley that scored Colin Bray after he reached on an error to lead off the inning and moved to third on a double by Dorsey.

UNF added two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a Jaguar throwing error and RBI single by Tyler Marincov to up its lead to 6-2.

The Jags trimmed the UNF lead to 6-3 in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Cofield that scored Patterson, who singled earlier in the frame.

Roberson led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer down the left-field line to increase the UNF lead to 7-3. The Ospreys added their eighth run of the game in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI single by Bryan Matthews.

The series will conclude with game three Sunday at noon (CT).

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).