Box Score UNO-UNF Box Score
NEW ORLEANS – Six fielding miscues by the University of New Orleans were the difference as North Florida won 13-6 on Thursday night at Maestri Field.
UNF (26-26) produced two big innings courtesy of UNO (3-49) errors, scoring five runs in the fourth with the assistance of three Privateer miscues. Two more errors in the field by the hosts help set the table for four more runs in the eighth for the Ospreys that turned an 8-6 game into a 12-6 lead.
Andrew Karmeris came a double short of the cycle for UNF with a 4-for-6 game with two runs and three RBIs. Karmeris had an RBI triple in the third and a sixth-inning home run to go with two singles.
Evan Stermer added a 3-for-5 effort for the Ospreys while Alex Hernandez scored three runs despite just two official plate appearances.
The Privateers were led at the plate with Cameron Wheeless, who had two home runs as part of a perfect 4-for-4 performance that included two runs and four RBIs. Wheeless hit his first home run in the fourth with Blake LeBlanc singling in Steffan Farrell for the second run in the frame.
One inning later, a two-run home run by Wheeless allowed him to become the first UNO player to hit two home runs in a game since Mike Petello on May 7, 2010 against UL-Lafayette. When Farrell scored his second run of the game later in the inning on a Hunter Boudreaux grounder, the Privateers had pulled within two runs at 7-5.
The offensive outburst by Wheeless continued in the sixth inning with an RBI single, his fourth hit of the night. The single cut the deficit to 8-6 while helping UNO to six runs for the first time since a 7-6 loss on Mar. 20 against Tulane.
UNF broke open the game with their four run eighth to keep the game out of reach of the Privateers.
Robbie Collier (4-5) took the win for the visiting Ospreys with 5 2/3 innings of work, allowing six runs – four earned – on five hits.
Collier ran up his pitch count in the game by striking out seven and walking five before Brandan Keen pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for his first career save.
Collier's Privateer counterpart Robert Ormsbee (0-8) lasted just 4 1/3 innings and yielded seven runs – five of which were earned – while UNF tallied eight hits.
The two teams will hit the field at Privateer Park on Friday at 2 p.m. before concluding the season on Saturday at 1 p.m.
