JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – JJ Gould delivered two RBI, including a home run, but Jacksonville was downed by North Florida, 7-4, Friday at Sessions Stadium.
"You have to tip your hats to UNF because they came out and slugged us first," said Head Coach Tim Montez. "I thought our bullpen did a nice job of keeping us in the ballgame. We've got to do a better job of coming out and taking advantages of opportunities presented to us. Tomorrow is a big game and we need to respond as a team with leadership stepping forward."
North Florida (20-12, 2-2) saw all nine batters step to the plate in the first inning with four runs off five hits and one error. All five hits were singles, and one batter reached on a hit-by-pitch.
Starter Michael Baumann (3-2) kept the visitors off the scoreboard in the second inning despite allowing a pair of baserunners, but gave up his final run of the night in the third on another RBI single. In the loss, Baumann gave up nine hits, all singles, four earned runs, a walk, and had two strikeouts.
Jacksonville (17-12, 0-1) scored its first runs of the evening by placing a two-spot in the third. With two outs in the frame, Gould hit an RBI single past short, then Nate Ricci doubled on a fly ball lost in the sun in left field.
After UNF scored in the sixth inning off reliever Mike Schappell on a Keith Skinner double, Jacksonville answered with a leadoff single by Nathan Koslowski. After reaching third on consecutive groundouts, he scored on a Franco Guardascione RBI single.
UNF scored its final run of the game an inning later and closed the book on Schappell, who gave up two hits and two runs over 2.1 innings, with the final run scoring on a sacrifice fly.
Gould blasted his fifth home run of the season on a solo shot to left in the eighth inning.
Bryan Baker (2-2) got the win for the Ospreys with four hits, three runs, four walks, and five strikeouts in five innings of action. Matt Naylor picked up his second save with one run over four innings of relief.
Ryan Granda and Shane Wise each allowed one hit and no runs in relief for Jacksonville.
The series with UNF continues with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch Saturday. The 1976 Jacksonville baseball team, owner of a school-record 45 wins, will be honored before the game.
