March 11, 2017 Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - In the first game of a Saturday doubleheader, North Florida broke open a tight game in the sixth inning to beat Rutgers baseball, 13-2, at Harmon Stadium. It was the second game of the Scarlet Knights' eight-game spring break trip.
Sophomore Serafino Brito (0-4) did not allow an earned run in 5.1 innings on the mound, having two inherited runners and three unearned runs come home against. The right-hander struck out four in the outing.
At the plate, junior Chris Folinusz went 3-for-5 with three singles to follow up a two-hit showing on Friday. Sophomore Luke Bowerbank, who scored twice, reached three times on two walks and a single, while freshman Kevin Welsh singled twice and walked. RU (4-9) stranded 15 runners on base in the game.
The Ospreys (11-4) took advantage of errors in the first and third innings to push across three unearned runs. Brito would limit the damage from there, including escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam unscathed in the fifth.
That led to the Scarlet Knights breaking through for a run in the sixth. Bowerbank and Folinusz both singled with one out and Welsh walked with two outs in the inning. Sophomore Jawuan Harris next came up and bounced a ball towards shortstop that was bobbled, with Folinusz beating the force play at third to allow Bowerbank to score and make it a 3-1 game.
However, North Florida rallied for seven runs with two outs in the next half inning to open up a 10-1 lead. RU put up one run in the eighth when redshirt freshman Tommy Genuario knocked in Bowerbank on a ground ball.
Austin Howze (2-0) earned the win in relief for UNF with 1.1 innings of work. Starter Frank German did not allow a run in a four-plus inning start.
Game two of the doubleheader followed.
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