North Florida Too Much in 17-3 Defeat

Wednesday, March 23

Jacksonville, Fla.

6:00 PM

Dartmouth College

4-10

North Florida

14-10

Dartmouth

North Florida

3/23/2016 8:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — North Florida scored four runs in the first, then put the game away with a seven-run fourth to hand visiting Dartmouth a 17-3 defeat on Wednesday night at Harmon Stadium. The Ospreys (14-10) pounded out 18 hits with every starter collecting at least one, snapping the Big Green's three-game win streak to drop them to 4-10 on the season.

Christian Diaz was a perfect 3-for-3 with a hit by pitch, two runs and three RBIs for UNF. Leadoff hitter Dakota Higdon also had three hits in five trips to the plate while scoring three runs and driving in three more, while Alex Merritt joined the pair with three hits of his own, including a two-run blast to cap the first inning, and crossed the plate three times.

Dartmouth collected 10 hits on the evening with a trio of doubles. Senior Joe Purritano banged out one of those doubles and produced two singles as well, one of which drove in the first Big Green run in the fourth.

Osprey starting pitcher Matt Vaka (2-1) was in control over his seven-inning stint on the mound, surrendering two runs, one earned, on seven hits and a pair of walks. He relied on his solid defense behind him as he struck out just one Dartmouth batter.

After Merritt finished off the first with his third home run of the season, North Florida tacked on an unearned run in the second and three more tallies in the third with the big blow being a bases loaded single by Diaz to plate two.

The fourth frame started well enough as sophomore Dustin Shirley doubled with one out and scored on Purritano's single back through the box. But the bottom half began ominously as Corbin Olmstead smashed a solo shot to left, his sixth of the season, on the first pitch of the inning. Six of the next seven hitters banged out singles, including a two-run knock by Higdon. A throwing error with two outs in the inning allowed two more Ospreys to come home, making it a 15-1 ball game.

Higdon drove in a run in the sixth on an infield hit, and Zach Drury scored the final UNF run in the sixth on a ground ball to second after he had stroked a triple.

The Big Green touched reliever Trace Norkus for their last two runs in the eighth after loading the bases when freshman Matt Feinstein walked, junior John Melody was plunked and Purritano singled. Sophomore Justin Fowler followed with a single to left to score Feinstein, and the next pitch went to the backstop, allowing Melody to trot home.

Junior Jackson Bubala (0-3) took the loss for allowing 13 runs, 12 earned, in 3.1 innings. Senior Adam Charnin-Aker struck out four in 2.2 innings of relief, and sophomore Marc Bachman restored order with a pair of scoreless stanzas, retiring all six batters he faced.

The two teams will conclude their two-game midweek set on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Big Green Summer Ball Recap

Saturday, September 06

Brad Hill, Jaren Hunter Round Out Baseball Coaching Staff

Thursday, August 21

Blake McFadden Named Interim Baseball Head Coach

Friday, July 11

Bob Whalen Retires As Winningest Baseball Coach at a Single Institution In Ivy League History

Thursday, July 03

Next Event

North Florida

L, 6-8

Mar 24 (Thu)

3:00 PM

Box Score Recap Stats Notes History

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Vaka, Matt (2-1)

L: Bubala, Jackson (0-3)

Dartmouth

Batting:

2B: Shirley, Dustin 1 ; Purritano, Joe 1 ; Ostmo, Nate 1

RBI: Purritano, Joe 1 ; Fowler, Justin 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Feinstein, Matt 1 ; Shirley, Dustin 1 ; Melody, John 1

HBP: Melody, John 1

North Florida

Batting:

2B: Skinner, Keith 1

3B: Drury, Zach 1

HR: Olmstead, Corbin 1 ; Merritt, Alex 1

RBI: Higdon, Dakota 3 ; Diaz, Christian 3 ; Skinner, Keith 2 ; Olmstead, Corbin 1 ; Board, Dalton 1 ; Merritt, Alex 2 ; Thibideau, Chris 1 ; Brooks, Kyle 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Higdon, Dakota 3 ; Diaz, Christian 2 ; Skinner, Keith 1 ; Olmstead, Corbin 1 ; Drury, Zach 1 ; Karmeris, Nick 1 ; Merritt, Alex 3 ; Thibideau, Chris 3 ; Brooks, Kyle 1 ; Ervin, Patrick 1