Box Score (PDF)

Jacksonville, Fla. – Trent Higginbothem went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead North Florida to a 13-4 victory over USC Upstate Saturday afternoon in game two of a three-game series from Harmon Stadium.

North Florida (8-9, 1-1) leadoff hitter Kyle Brooks drew a walk to open the bottom of the first to ignite an opening inning that saw the Ospreys strike for five runs. Corbin Olmstead followed with a single up the middle to put runners on the corner for right fielder Drew Weeks. Weeks delivered with a sacrifice fly to right to score Brooks and pick up his 10th RBI of the season in the process.

Ryan Roberson singled to left field before Higginbothem doubled down the left field line to plate Olmstead from second to put the Ospreys ahead 2-0. Catcher James Abbatinozzi recorded North Florida's third straight hit with a single to left to bring in two and up the lead to 4-0. Alex Bacon added an RBI single to left later in the inning to account for the fifth run.

USC Upstate (9-12, 1-1) pushed across a run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly from shortstop Daniel Fickas. Stephen Dowling, Daniel Seeba and AJ Mackey had consecutive singles to load the bases before Fickas collected his fourth RBI of the season with a line drive to left.

Higginbothem picked up his second RBI of the game with a two-out, RBI single through the left side in the bottom of the second to give North Florida a 6-1 lead. Upstate answered with a run in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly from Erik Samples. Brian Thompson and Zach Krider opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and Thomson advanced to third on a fly out by Luke Weber. Samples followed with his team-leading 18th RBI of the season with a fly out to center.

North Florida added two more runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Ty Kelly and a groundout by Olmstead. Upstate pulled within 8-3 in the top of the fifth when Weber belted his first home run of the season with a shot over the left-center field wall.

The Ospreys went on to add five more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break the game open.

Krider finished 4-for-5 on his way to his team-leading 11th multi-hit game of the season, while Thompson collected a career-high three hits. Dowling and Tyler Lesch each finished with two hits apiece.

Evan Incinelli (3-1) earned the win after allowing three runs on 12 hits while striking out two in seven innings of work. David Roseboom took the loss and fell to 1-3 on the season.

Upstate and North Florida will play the rubber game of the series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

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