DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Patrick Ervin's RBI single to left field scored Chris Berry for the game-winning run Tuesday night, as visiting North Florida took the first of back-to-back midweek affairs between Bethune-Cookman and UNF, 5-4, in non-conference baseball action inside Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Bethune-Cookman (17-9) rallied from three down in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 4-all.
The two-out rally began when catcher
Chase DeBonis singled to left, advancing designated hitter
Jordan Stacy up a base to second. Stacy walked to begin the Wildcats at-bat. After the pitching change for North Florida, it took just two pitches for sophomore centerfielder
Josten Heron to lace a two-run scoring standup triple to plate both runners and bring BCU to within, 4-3.
Heron would later score on a wild pitch delivered wide right of Ospreys catcher Blake Voyles' glove by reliever Anthony DeLaney, knotting the game at 4-4 when Heron scampered in on the play.
North Florida (18-9) would plate the game-winning run in the top-half of the seventh inning.
With two outs, second baseman Berry walked and first baseman Christian Diaz singled to place the go-ahead run in scoring position for the Ospreys. After a pitching change for the Wildcats saw reliever
Marcellus Sneed replaced by junior
Joseph Calamita, Ervin placed the game-winning hit over the head of third baseman
Jameel Edney with a single to left, allowing Berry to score on the play from second base, as he was moving with the pitch.
North Florida began the game with two runs in the opening half-inning.
The start was rocky for junior
Alexis Herrera as Voyles doubled to the wall in left, followed by Chris Thibideau's single and stolen base to place both men in scoring position with one out. It would allow UNF third baseman Alex Merritt to double down the line in left scoring both runners for the 2-0 advantage early-on.
The Ospreys added a run in the top of the third, signaling the end of the night for Herrera.
BCU cut into the deficit, 3-1, in the home-half of the second as second baseman
Trent Nash scored from third on a fielding error charged to UNF's Berry, allowing Heron to reach safely on the grounder.
Ervin would later advance the Ospreys lead at 4-1 in the top of the third inning when he registered the first of two RBIs on the night, this time courtesy a single shot back up the middle to plate Berry.
UNF's DeLaney claimed the win (4-1), working two innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit and striking out the first five batters he would face. The save went to Matthew Naylor (4) pitching the final 1 1/3 frames, striking out one and not surrendering a hit in his time on the mound.
The loss went to Bethune-Cookman left-hander Sneed, dropping him at 0-1 on the campaign.
TJ Densmore relieved Herrera in the third, pitching 2.2 innings and allowing just one hit on a walk and one strikeout.
Ivan Coutinho closed the game on the mound across the eighth and ninth innings, respectfully.
Bethune-Cookman and North Florida face each other again Wednesday, March 29, in Jacksonville, Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
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