Big Osprey 3rd Inning Downs Baseball in CDI Opener

Friday, March 1

Pensacola, Fla. / Blue Wahoos Stadium

6 PM

Western Kentucky University

6-3

North Florida

8-3

North Florida

WKU

Photo by: Katie Stratman, WKU Athletics

3/1/2019 11:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A scoreless contest going into the third inning, North Florida scored six runs in that frame and ultimately defeated WKU Baseball by a score of 9-2 on Friday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium in the Hilltoppers' first game of the Cox Diamond Invitational.

WKU starter Troy Newell was stellar through the first two innings, keeping the Ospreys scoreless on 29 pitches with three strikeouts and only one hit allowed. But in the third, he walked six - one intentional - and UNF scored six two-out runs, the dagger being a double by designated hitter David Maberry with the bases loaded.

"Troy was lights-out in the first two innings and then it got away from him a little bit. I was hoping he could make one pitch to get out of it, unfortunately he wasn't able to and that was the game, that inning," head coach John Pawlowski said. "He certainly has the ability and the stuff to go out there and do what he needs to do to be successful, and he showed that tonight."

Righty Collin Lollar came on in relief and allowed a solo homerun and two-run homerun in the next inning as the Ospreys pushed their lead to 9-0, but he was able to cap his appearance with four scoreless frames. The junior retired the final 10 batters he faced.

The Hilltoppers scored both of their runs in the seventh inning. Infielder Nick Brunson got things started with a line-drive single to right field, then freshman center fielder Jackson Swiney drove a double to the gap to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Designated hitter Dillon Nelson slapped a two-run single into left field that brought the score to 9-2.

Swiney and left fielder Ray Zuberer III each had two hits - including a double - and one walk, reaching base three times apiece. Infielder Davis Sims and pinch hitter Richard Constantine also added hits for WKU, while right fielder Jake Sanford drew a walk.

Righty Jeff Ciocco recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning with one strikeout as he and Lollar combined to get 13 straight Ospreys to finish the game.

Up Next
There has been a schedule change to the Cox Diamond Invitational.

With inclement weather expected for Sunday, there will be four games played on Saturday, March 2. Games 1 and 2 will stay the same, with WKU vs. Louisiana Monroe at 11 a.m. and North Florida vs. Tennessee at approximately 2:30 p.m. Games 3 and 4 will both be seven-inning affairs, with the Hilltoppers and Volunteers starting at approximately 6 p.m. and the Ospreys and Warhawks starting at approximately 9 p.m.

In the opening game on Friday, Tennessee defeated ULM by a score of 7-2. A tie game going into the third inning, Andre Lupcius hit a two run homerun in that frame to give the Volunteers (10-0) a 4-2 lead, then a three-run homerun by Alerick Soularie in the eighth put the contest out of reach for the Warhawks (3-5).