FLORENCE, Ala. (May 10, 2024) – Senior left-hander
Jacob James picked up eight strikeouts to bring his career total to 280, matching Chad Boughner's record for the most strikeouts in a UNA career., as the University of North Alabama baseball team dropped the series opener to North Florida, 4-3, at Mike D. Lane Field in Friday's series opener.
The southpaw from Loretto, Tenn. eclipsed 100 strikeouts on the season with his seventh of the contest, before tying Boughner's career record of 280 with his next strikeout. James has notched 280 strikeouts in just 65 career appearances, the sixth-most strikeouts among active NCAA Division I pitchers.
The Lions fall to 16-32 on the season, while North Florida improves to 21-25. The Lions move to 8-17 in ASUN Conference play with five conference contests remaining on the season. UNF moves to 11-13.
North Alabama opened up the scoring on Friday after a pair of walks set up
Levi Jensen to bring home
Gehrig Frei on a single through the left side. UNF responded in the second inning with a sacrifice fly before North Alabama jumped back in front.
Frei turned in a three-hit afternoon, his fifth game of the season with three or more hits. He now has a team-best 21 multi-hit performances so far in 2024.
Jonathan Lane and Frei singled to open up the third inning before an
Andrew Knight groundout brought home Lane to take UNA's second lead of the contest. The Ospreys traded a run once again in the top of the fourth following a pair of singles and a walk.
North Florida took its first lead of the game in the fifth inning with a two-run double from first baseman Cade Bush.
UNA promptly responded, cutting the Osprey lead down to one run with four innings remaining after Frei picked up his second single of the evening to bring home
Leighton Jenkins.
James closed his outing with eight strikeouts across 6.0 innings, allowing just three hits and four earned runs.
Brycen Parrish entered in relief for James and tossed 3.0 innings out of the bullpen, not allowing a run and striking out four batters. Parrish ranks second on the team in strikeouts with 53 while having the best ERA of any UNA pitcher with a 3.91.
After making the call to the bullpen in the fifth inning, North Florida did not surrender a run to UNA, with Osprey relievers combining for 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and one walk.
Pitchers of Record
W - Jordan Wimpelberg (3-3)
S – Zane Starling (2)
COMING UP NEXT
UNA returns to Mike D. Lane Field on Saturday as the Lions celebrate the history of Mike Lane Field with an alumni reunion and pre-game ceremony for former head coach Mike Lane. The two teams square off again on Sunday, May 12 for the series finale.
