Featured Image: Justin Nedrow

More than a week removed from their last game, the Ospreys were finally back in action as they took to Statesboro to face the Georgia Southern Eagles in a battle of the birds.

Riding a three-game losing streak after a sweep against FGCU, Tuesday’s road trip served as a solid opportunity to get back on track. This wasn’t the first time these teams have seen each other this season, as the two squads faced off in early March, resulting in a 3-1 GSU win. 

Starting for the Ospreys was junior left-hander, Zach Chappell, while freshman Ben Johnson took the mound for GSU. Chappell faced heat early, with the Eagles loading the bases in the first inning. Luckily for UNF, they were able to escape the jam while only giving up one run.

With the Osprey offense stagnating, the Eagles got to work once again in the second inning. A successful inning for GSU was capped off by a Christian Avant home run, increasing the lead to 4-0.

The UNF batting order came to life in the third, as the Ospreys tacked on three runs to cut the deficit to one. This rally came in the form of an Abraham Sequera home run and two RBI’s courtesy of Trey Spratling-Williams. The inning may have ended with the Ospreys still trailing, but they were not done yet.

UNF’s Blake Marabell kicked off the fourth inning in style with a lead-off triple. This run was brought in with the help of a GSU miscue, knotting the game at 4-4. This was followed up by a two-run Austin Bogart home run, giving the Ospreys a 6-4 lead.

Unfortunately for UNF, this would be the end of their offensive prosperity for the evening. They may have had the lead, but Georgia Southern had a rally of their own on the horizon. Christian Avant contributed once more, allowing the Eagles to tie the game at 6-6. An error in the bottom of the seventh would break things open, as GSU took an 8-6 lead.

The GSU bullpen came in clutch, sitting down the last 17 Osprey batters they faced. Once again, the Ospreys faltered late, and it cost them. An 8-6 loss causes UNF to fall to 9-15 on the year. 

While this is a disappointing result, the Ospreys will have a chance to redeem themselves as they travel to DeLand to face the Stetson Hatters this weekend. The first two games occur on Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m., with the finale starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Follow along with Spinnaker for the latest on UNF baseball.

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