BOX SCORE

Jacksonville, FL - North Florida scored seven runs over the seventh and eighth inning in posting an 11-7 come-from-behind victory over Wagner at Harmon Stadium. Senior RHP Matt Watson (Howell, NJ / Howell) turned in his second-straight strong start, striking out two while yielding just three earned runs over 6.0 innings.

With the win, the Ospreys even their record at 6-6 while the Seahawks fall to 0-5.

Leading the offense was senior Vin Avella (Matawan, NJ / CBA), who went 3-5 with a home run, double, four RBI and two runs. On the young season the Garden State native is batting a blistering .455 (10-22) with three doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI while extending his season-opening hitting streak to five games.

Junior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) also notched double-figures in hits, going 2-4 with a run and a RBI.

For the second-straight game, the Green & White assumed a first-inning lead. Senior Damian Csakai (Freehold Township, NJ / Freehold Township) walked before moving to second on a Jared Gruccio (Jr., Landisville, NJ / Buena Regional) single. Following a ground out, Avella, the reigning Akadema NEC Player of the Week, crushed a three-run home run to left field.

North Florida rallied with single runs in the bottom of the first and the second.

Wagner pushed the lead out to 6-2 in the top of the third inning with another three-run frame. With two outs, Avella doubled to left center before junior Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) brought him around with a double of his own to right center. McDonnell continued the hit parade with a single to right center, plating Boyd. Junior Matt Logan (Wall, NJ / Wall) singled McDonnell over to third before classmate MJ Dugan (Mountainside, NJ / Governor Livingston) capped the scoring with his first collegiate hit, a run-scoring single through the right side.

Watson retired six of the next seven batters he faced before Kyle Dahl led off the fifth inning with a home run to left field, cutting the deficit to 6-3. The Ospreys touched Watson for an unearned run in the sixth inning as the reigning Akadema NEC Pitcher of the Week exited with a 6-4 lead. In addition to striking out a pair, Watson allowed one walk while scattering eight hits. He has posted a 3.21 ERA with six strikeouts, against three walks, over 14.0 innings while limiting hitters to a .235 average.

The Ospreys jumped all over the Green & White bullpen for seven runs, five of which were earned, on just four hits with five walks. North Florida put a four-spot on the board in the seventh, taking an 8-6 lead before adding three in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Down five in the ninth, the Seahawks got one run back on an Avella RBI single to right field, plating Csakai while providing the final 11-7 tally.

Junior LHP David Rees (Staten Island, NY / Xavier) gave up two runs on two hits over 0.2 innings in falling to 0-1 on the year.

RHP George Lott improved to 2-0, yielding six runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out three over 7.0 innings. Entering the game, the Osprey ace had allowed just one run with nine strikeouts over 11.1 innings. LHP Clayton Schulz picked up the save, striking out two and walking one while allowing one unearned run over 2.0 innings.

Wagner notched 11 hits as eight different student-athletes batted safely. North Florida rapped out 12 hits led by Preston Hale went 3-5 with three RBI and two runs. Dahl was 2-3 with a home run and two RBI while Michael Smith went 2-4 with two runs.

The Seahawks will now break for two days before heading to Bethune Cookman on Wednesday, March 10 at 6:00 pm.