North Florida scores two in the ninth to knock off VMI, 5-4

VMI rallied from a 3-0 deficit Friday evening to take the lead in the first game of the 2020 season, but North Florida scored two in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Keydets, 5-4, at Dusty Rhodes Field in Harmon Stadium.

Trailing 3-0 in the fifth, Matt Keane drove in a run with a groundout following singles by Cody Warner and Josh Hollifield. Keane came around to score on a wild pitch and Jordan Ebersole walked and scored on a Callen Nuccio double to tie the score.

With the game still tied at three, Hollifield walked to lead off the ninth inning, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored the go-ahead run on a Jordan Ebersole base hit with two outs. The Ospreys had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth and plated runs on a groundout and a balk for the win.

Senior Jacob Menders allowed three runs in the second inning, but settled down for a solid six-inning start, scattering five hits, two walks with four strikeouts. Freshman Trey Morgan worked a scoreless inning of relief Jon Clines retired both batters he faced.

Hollifield was perfect on the evening with two hits, a walk and was hit by a pitch. Ebersole was 2-3 and Noah Cook doubled.

Abraham Sequera was 2-3 for the University of North Florida and scored two runs.

The same two teams will square off Saturday at 2:05 p.m.