JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida Baseball celebrated a strong midweek win, taking down Florida A&M 15-4 at Moore-Kittles Field. They achieved this without any errors in the game, marking an impressive performance.
Junior infielder Matheew Farner stood out again, hitting his fourth consecutive home run. This impressive streak had him tied for the most home runs in Division I baseball at the time. Farner ended the night with one hit, three RBIs, and two runs scored.
The Ospreys jumped to an early lead with a three-run first inning. Redshirt junior Jackson Toberman opened the scoring with a timely single, followed by Boone Hosey’s run on a wild pitch.
Florida A&M answered back, scoring three runs in their half of the first. The tension was palpable as both teams fought hard.
Relief pitcher Zane Starling came in early, throwing 4.2 innings, striking out four batters, and allowing just one run. Toberman continued to shine in the second inning, hitting a two-RBI double that put North Florida ahead again at 5-3.
In the third inning, Farner delivered a huge blow with a three-run homer, which expanded the lead to 10-4. Redshirt freshman Sean Benjamin also contributed with his fifth double of the season, bringing the score to 13-4 after a series of sacrifice flies from Santiago Ordonez and Jonathan Acosta.
Benjamin capped off the scoring for the Ospreys with an RBI single in the sixth. Freshman pitcher Jermiah Stewart finished the game strong, pitching two scoreless innings and recording his first career strikeout.
UNF 15, FAMU 4
Pitchers of Record
Win: Zane Starling (1-0)
Loss: Ricardo Roman (0-1)
Line Scores
UNF | 15 R, 10 H, 0 E
FAMU | 4 R, 8 H, 2 E
Statistical Leaders
UNF:
Mitchell Collins | 2-3, 4 R, 3 BB
Matheew Farner | 1-3, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Sean Benjamin | 2-4, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
Jackson Toberman | 2-4, 3 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB
Zane Starling | 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
FAMU:
Jay Campbell | 2-2, 2 RBI, 1 R
Next up, North Florida heads to Harmon Stadium for a weekend series against Quinnipiac from February 20-22, with the first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. This matchup is anticipated not just for its competitive edge, but also for the community support behind the team, which has been growing steadily.
With North Florida’s recent performance, fans are buzzing on social media. A quick glance at Twitter shows excitement about Farner’s home runs and hopes for a successful weekend series.
The Ospreys’ ability to stay error-free is crucial in maintaining momentum as they advance in the season. Historically, teams that minimize mistakes often have better chances in tight matchups, a trend seen across various sports.
As they prepare for the upcoming series, it will be interesting to see how the team builds on this win and continues to engage its loyal fan base.
