FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-20-04

College Baseball: No. 8 North Florida 7-6, No. 22 AASU 3-2

SAVANNAH, Ga. – No. 8-ranked North Florida retained a firm grip atop first place in the Peach Belt Conference standings by sweeping a doubleheader from host Armstrong Atlantic State on Saturday afternoon at Pirate Field, taking the first game, 7-3, then winning the nightcap, 6-2.

The Ospreys (19-9, 9-2 PBC) broke out with six runs on nine hits in the first three innings of game one to build a 6-0 lead, then added a single run in the sixth to go up 7-0. AASU (17-12, 2-6 PBC) could get nothing going until the seventh inning when a lead off home run by Brandon McKinnon and a two-RBI single by Adam Pelley cut the lead to 7-3. UNF reliever Josh Papelbon held the Pirates without a hit the rest of the way, however, to give the Ospreys the win. Travis Stanton (8-0) hurled seven innings, giving up eight hits and three runs while striking out four for the win. Ryan Knight led UNF offensively with four hits and three RBI, while the Pirates got three hits from Brandon Nunez. Leon Boyd (4-3) took the loss, giving up 13 hits and seven runs in six innings pitched.

The nightcap was a close affair that saw the Pirates inch to within one run, 3-2, in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout by Kyle Maddux, but the Ospreys blew the game open in the top of the seven with three runs, including a key two-out, two-RBI double by Jeff Millsaps that widened the gap. Joey Russell added an RBI single to make a winner out of Robert McNeal (4-0), who scattered eight hits and gave up just two runs in six innings pitched, while striking out six. Josh Howard led the Ospreys with three hits and three RBI, while Rob Recuenco led AASU with three hits. Marcus Barriger (3-2) took the loss, giving up six hits and six runs – four earned – in seven innings pitched.

The win was the eighth straight by the Ospreys over the Pirates in Savannah, a streak that dates all the way back to 2000. AASU has not beaten UNF at home since the 1998 season.

The two teams wrap up their three-game series on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Pirate Field.

-Pirates-