JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Zach Olszewski was 2-for-3 with a run scored on Tuesday evening, but it was Bethune-Cookman falling to North Florida, 3-2, in non-conference baseball action at Harmon Stadium.
Bethune-Cookman (13-24) fell behind early-on Tuesday and used a valiant comeback attempt to get themselves into position to try and split the two-game series on the year with the homestanding Ospreys.
North Florida (24-11) were able to get to B-CU starting pitcher Alex Seibold early in the game. Seibold, pitching on short rest after starting the first game of a doubleheader at Florida A&M just three days ago in Tallahassee, tossed just 3.1 innings in his first midweek start of the season.
All three runs for North Florida came in the second inning.
With Garrick Ferguson standing on first after singling to start the at-bat for the Ospreys, shortstop Kyle Brooks walked with two outs to setup the biggest hit of the night. Donnie Dewees delivered a three-run homer, his team-leading 10th of the campaign, with a deep shot to left field that put the Ospreys up, 3-0.
Bethune-Cookman answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning.
A two-out rally for the Wildcats began with a Zach Olszewski's single to left, followed directly by freshman Jameel Edney's single and a walk issued to left fielder Bryant Munoz. That allowed redshirt senior Jordan Robinson to plate two runs with a double down the left field line, immediately following Matthew Naylor's introduction to the game as a relief pitcher for the Ospreys.
The UNF pitching staff held the Wildcats at bay the rest of the way, allowing just two hits after the third inning.
The win went to Bryan Baker of the Ospreys, bumping his record to 3-2. The loss went to Seibold, evening his record at 3-3 on the campaign. Corbin Ormstead earned his fourth save of the year.
All three UNF runs were tagged to Seibold, while the B-CU relief pitchers combined to throw the final 4.2 innings, scattering just three hits and striking out two. The efforts of Donté Lindsay, Clint Clymer, Joseph Calamita and Michael Austin kept the UNF bats at bay out of the bullpen.
The B-CU offense was sparked by Olszewski's 2-for-3 night, while five other Wildcats mustered up hits, including Robinson's two-RBI double.
Bethune-Cookman gets back to the diamond Saturday, April 11, when the Wildcats get back to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action at North Carolina Central for a three-game series in Durham, North Carolina. The games will be played at Durham Athletic Park, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday.
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