THE LEAD
DBU dropped game one of a three-game series against North Florida, 8-7, at Harmon Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday night.  The Patriots (13-8) found themselves down early, as the Ospreys (16-8) jumped out to a 6-0 lead through the first two innings and held on for an 8-7 win after a furious comeback from the DBU offense.  Ray Gaither (4-1) lasted 4.2 innings on the mound for DBU and was victimized by some hardluck defense that extended innings for the Ospreys and allowed six of the eight runs that he surrendered to come across as unearned runs.
 
This was the first loss for Gaither in his college career (4-1), as UNF starter Austin Drury picked up the win, despite allowing seven runs over five innings. The Patriot bullpen was solid as Dalton Higgins, Landon Wilson, and Travis Stone combined to keep the game close late, but the Patriot offense was not able to close the gap.  After a valiant comeback that saw DBU tie the game through four innings, the Patriots were only able to muster a single run off Osprey pitching thereafter.
 
The Patriots immediately found themselves behind in the game as the Ospreys struck for five unearned runs in the first inning, aided by two errors from the DBU infield.  UNF added another run in the second to increase the lead to six runs before the Patriots even batted through the order for the first time.
 
The DBU offense started to make noise in the third inning to cut into the UNF lead.  Garrett Wolforth and Luke Stratman both reached by base on balls in the inning and, with two out, Jameson Hannah doubled to left center to get DBU on the board. The next batter, Austin Listi, belted his seventh homerun of the season and the Osprey lead was cut to 6-4.
 
The Patriot offense continued their onslaught in the fourth inning when Tim Millard led off the inning with a ringing double to left center and Matt Duce walked.  The threat almost went unfulfilled, but Stratman tied the game at six with a single to centerfield as DBU crawled out of the early hole.
 
The deficit would return to two runs as the Ospreys scored single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. The last of those runs came as Higgins replaced Gaither on the mound and induced a two-out groundball that would have closed the frame, but instead resulted in a run-scoring error.  
 
The Patriot offense countered with a potential big-run sixth inning after loading the bases with nobody out, but were limited to a single run, thanks to a double play flyout to right field and a strikeout.  The lone run was pushed across on back-to-back, two out walks to Stratman and Luke Bandy that again closed the gap to one run.
 
That is where the score remained to the bottom of the seventh inning as Wilson replaced Higgins on the mound and recorded two outs before being lifted for Stone with a runner at first.  Stone retired the first batter he faced to strand the runner and allow the Patriot offense to get back to the plate.
 
In the ninth, DBU was unable to mount a comeback, as the Patriots stranded the tying run at first base in Austin Listi.  Ospreys' closer Matthew Naylor came out of the pen to record the final out, striking out Evan Sandmann to close out the game.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- UNF has now won all five games over the Patriots in the all-time series.  Tonight marked the first time the two teams have met since 2003.
- For the second straight game, DBU overcame at least a five run deficit to tie the game, only to fall just short. 
- Matt Duce has now reached base safely in all 21 games this year.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
36 – Austin Listi hit his 36th career home run to place him in a tie with Drew Holder for the fifth most home runs in DBU's Division I history.
11 – Jameson Hannah recorded his team-leading 11th multi-hit game with a 2-for-5 performance at the plate.
2 – Only two of Ray Gaither's eight runs allowed were earned.
 
UP NEXT
DBU and North Florida meet in game two of the series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. (EST).