Tuesday, April 28, 2009

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The bats of the No. 11 Miami Hurricanes were stifled by six University of North Florida pitchers Tuesday night, while the Ospreys exploded for 15 hits in a 10-1 upset, marking the first time in program history UNF has knocked off Miami, Florida, and Florida State in the same season.

After the Hurricanes (29-15) chalked their lone run in the bottom of the second frame, UNF (18-24) went on top for good in the third inning when junior Preston Hale belted a two-run shot over the right field wall of Alex Rodriguez Park.

Senior right handers Mike Gottlieb (1-0), who earned his first decision of the season, and Phil Rorabaugh combined to allow only one hit in three innings of work to shut down Miami before the Ospreys blew the game open in the fifth inning. Junior TJ Thompson provided the spark on the first pitch of his third at-bat, cracking a shot over the fence in right field to plate three runs. Junior Justin Preckajlo capped UNF’s fifth-inning scoring on a Michael Gropper single to right.

Miami went down in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but UNF continued to pour in the runs. After notching one run in the seventh courtesy of junior Kevin Martin’s bases-loaded walk, Hale tallied RBI number three and four in the eighth inning when he singled up the middle to score senior Brian Wilson and sophomore Sam Perry. Hale crossed the plate on a throwing error after Preckajlo reached on a fielder’s choice to push UNF’s lead to the 10-1 final score.

Senior Antonio Franzese, UNF’s starter Tuesday night, allowed one run on one hit and struck out one in two innings of work. Gottlieb threw one inning, striking out one, and Rorabaugh tossed two frames, giving up one hit and one walk with one strike out.