Following two weekend sweeps over perennial ASUN powers Jacksonville University and Florida Gulf Coast University, the Ospreys were riding a six-game winning streak heading into a home midweek tilt. 

On Tuesday night at Harmon Stadium, the Ospreys were facing a ten-game under a .500 Georgia Southern team. 

Georgia Southern took the lead in the fourth inning and never gave it up, holding onto a 3-2 victory over UNF and effectively snapping the Ospreys’ six-game streak. Including this game, North Florida has now dropped six consecutive midweek games. 

Early Innings

Offensively, for the first four-plus innings, the Ospreys’ bats were silent apart from Mitchell Collins’s single leadoff.

Meanwhile, Georgia Southern starter Will Robbins dominated on the mound, tossing four scoreless frames, giving up just Collins’ single while striking out five. 

Defensively, the Ospreys’ pitchers were sufficient, with redshirt sophomore middle-reliever Tyler Kozera retiring the first seven Eagles to keep the game scoreless. Kozera made quick work of the Eagles, forcing many first-pitch outs and three-pitch strikeouts. 

However, one batter later, the Eagles erased the no-hitter, striking a short line-drive single to right field. With a runner on first and two outs, Eagle’s player Bennett Edwards launched a double down the line, which was misplayed by right fielder Jackson Schrafft and allowed one run to score. 

Because of the error, no earned runs were charged to Kozera, keeping his scoreless outing alive.  This sequence prompted a pitching change, replacing Kozera with UNF redshirt senior John Costa, who himself had an impressive outing. 

“[Kozera and Costa] have been a huge strength for us,” Head Coach Joe Mercadante said. “And having Kozera back out there was huge and I thought he pitched great tonight.”

Midway through the game, with no baserunners since the top of the fourth inning, the Ospreys were ready to remove their goose egg from the scoreboard. To start the bottom of the fifth, facing a new arm, catcher Boone Hosey worked an easy four-pitch walk. 

Then, designated hitter Santiago Ordonez and Schrafft walked, loading the bases with one away. Tying the game at one, UNF third-baseman Drew Buchanan hit a sacrifice fly to center, plating centerfielder Carter White, who reached on a fielder’s choice. Number nine hitter Dario Romeo ended the threat, flying out to left.

Middle Innings

Deadlocked at one, the Ospreys wasted little time building another scoring threat. Collins started the home half of the sixth with a single, tallying his second of the game.

Power-hitting Osprey shortstop Matthew Farner followed with one of his own, lining a seeing-eye single to center. Both baserunners orchestrated a double steal, landing two runners in scoring position. 

At the time, UNF was in a prime position to take the lead and put a ball in play. But Buchanan had trouble reading the pitcher’s breaking ball and, as a result, swung at many out-of-zone pitches. Buchanan struck out, and so did Hosey, failing to advance the runners. 

Now, UNF had to get a hit or take advantage of an error. But on White’s first pitch at bat, he got under a fastball and popped it up in the infield, wasting the Osprey’s threat.

After the game, Mercadante pointed to this inning and the errors in the outfield as key reasons for UNF’s loss. 

“We had a great opportunity in the sixth inning. We had the middle of the lineup up with a guy on third base and less than two outs and didn’t get the job done there,” he said. 

Still knotted at one, Georgia Southern put the first two hitters on base. It started with a Brady Christman walk, then a single.

New pitcher Clay Hendry forced two quick outs, giving the Ospreys a chance to prevent any damage. UNF looked to be almost out of the inning, but pinch-hitter Jonathan Jamie had other ideas. 

Jamie crushed a single to right field, splitting the gap and scoring Christman. Georgia Southern took the lead, 2-1. In the eighth inning, the Ospreys created another scoring threat, and this time, it put runs on the board.

To start, Collins knocked another leadoff single, his third hit of the game. Farner and Toberman produced two productive groundouts, advancing Collins to third base with two gone. Tying the game at two, Hosey swatted a double to right, scoring Collins.

“Boone’s close to getting back locked in, and when he does, it’s going to certainly help our lineup,” Mercadante said. “Collins is, in my opinion, the best in the conference. He does a tremendous job setting the tone for us.”

Late Rally and Coaches Reaction

Looking to take the first lead with Hosey at second, White struck out, ending the inning. The back-and-forth affair continued in the next frame with reliever Devin Diggs, who replaced Hendry, hitting Trammell to lead off the inning. 

Immediately, another free base opened when Diggs walked Christman. 

Similarly, there were runners on first and second. Scoring the game-winning run, Edwards hit a line drive to right field.

Leading 3-2, with still no outs, Georgia Southern was looking to add insurance runs, but Diggs retired the next three. 

Down to its final three outs, pinch-hitter Gilardi Gomez worked a one-out free pass. But the Eagles’ closer retired the next two Ospreys, securing the midweek win. 

Ultimately, Mercadante said the squad didn’t do what has made them successful lately and that is good defense and timely hitting.

“We didn’t play bad tonight,” Mercadante said. “We just didn’t handle a couple facets that are big for us as a team.”

For UNF, the Ospreys don’t have much time to dwell on the loss. North Florida’s next game is Thursday night against Queens University at Harmon Stadium. 

“Told the guys in the huddle, midnight, new day, turn the page,” Mercadante said.
We’re never going to be too high or too low in this group. And, yeah, reset it and get ready for a weekend series.” 

Despite the overall winning streak ending, UNF has still won its last eight conference games, leading to an ASUN-best 8-1 record. Overall, UNF dropped to 16-13.

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