DELAND, Fla. (May 21, 2026) — The University of North Alabama baseball team won its second postseason game with an 11-4 statement win over No. 1 seed North Florida in the winners bracket of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament in DeLand, Fla.
This marks the second consecutive postseason with a win over UNF, as UNA beat the Ospreys 14-11 in the 2025 tournament. The Lions beat No. 5 Jacksonville yesterday, 5-0, to advance to today's double elimination game against No. 1 North Florida.
The Lions will play the winner of No. 2 Lipscomb and No. 3 FGCU on Friday. The time for this game will be announced after the Lipscomb/FGCU game to end Thursday's action.
For the second consecutive game in DeLand, a weather delay occurred. This time, it sidelined the game for over four hours before play resumed at 7:15 ET/6:15 CT.
North Alabama (30-26, 19-11 ASUN) had its first home run of the postseason thanks to right fielder Wes Walker in the top of the fifth. The sophomore enjoyed a three-hit, three-RBI game with one run plated. He now has 14 home runs this season, which moves him into a tie for eighth all-time with 2005 Mike Klug and 2006 Steven Agee.
Alongside Walker, left fielder Nash Rippen made history by becoming the all-time single season walks leader with his 49th of the year in the first inning. Rippen surpassed Kyle Hubbuch, who had 48 in 2018.
Designated hitter Dylan Coleman earned his 68th hit of the season, which gave him the Division I record for hits in a season; this passes Luke Harper who had 67 hits in 2022.
North Florida (31-23, 22-8 ASUN) came into the game with only eight losses through conference play the entire season — the undisputed No. 1 seed for the ASUN Tournament. The North Alabama pitching staff held the Ospreys scoreless through six innings before a solo shot home run in the seventh.
North Alabama's defense and pitching staff opened its second postseason with 15 straight scoreless innings against opponents.
UNA pitcher Tripp Patterson went 6.2 innings ahead of the delay with four strikeouts and only one run allowed to earn his seventh win. The sophomore lefty worked out of several full count situations to deliver devastating blows — one came after a potential game-changing triple.
Luke Davenport entered the game after the four-hour delay and worked an inning. Kelly Crumpton stepped in with the tying run at the plate and threw for his first save of the season.
Alongside the pitching, the defense was exceptional once again in game two of the tournament. Notably, Bryant Loving made not one, but two SportsCenter Top 10-worthy flying catches in center field during the fifth.
The bats continued to find their gaps as the Lions turned in a 13-hit game after a first game with 12-hits against No. 5 Jacksonville. The Lions had a .325 average today with 10 of their hits coming with runners on bases.
Four batters earned a multi-hit game in Walker, Coleman, Loving and Tyler LePage. All but one player in the lineup scored a run tonight.
PLAY-BY-PLAY HIGHLIGHTS
This game had a tad more cloud coverage than the first for the Lions. However, that did not stop a weather delay to come through in the seventh. The Lions also donned their purple jerseys for a second straight game, coupled with gray pants.
Westmoreland earned a lead-off walk against starter Dakota Stone then advanced on a wild pitch in the next at-bat.
Then Craska stepped in and earned a hitter's count at 2-0. He took the third pitch to second base, but alongside it, went the first baseman's bat. Craska was thrown out at first, but did put Westmoreland on third.
Coleman worked a six pitch at-bat to run the count full. The designated hitter pushed a hit over the right side of the infield to drop in front of the right fielder and score Westmoreland to create the 1-0 advantage.
Patterson got the first Osprey to ground out to LePage at second. However, the second earned a full count walk to earn a runner at first. Millard, with the sun in his eyes, made a tremendous catch behind home plate from a foul ball pop out. The fourth Osprey saw only three pitches as Patterson earned his first strikeout of the afternoon.
North Florida opened the bottom of the second broke up the no-hitter with a single that touched down near the right field line. Patterson earned the next two putouts with two pitches as the Ospreys sacrifice bunted then flew out to Loving in center.
The sophomore pitcher threw three straight balls to the fourth batter. Patterson caught him looking at the next two pitches before he fouled off the next. Finally, Patterson closed the dramatic at-bat with swinging strike to work around the single.
The end of the order for the Lions alleviated some pressure with another backdoor double from LePage in the fourth. Loving hit a single opposite field to the right center gap to score LePage for the 2-0 lead.
North Florida regained energy in the bottom of the inning with a massive triple to right center. However, Patterson stranded him as he struck out the final batter of the inning.
Then a drizzle started to pour over the field as the inning numbers transitioned over to the sixth. However, North Alabama returned in the top of the inning with an energetic surge to take hold of the game.
A rare throwing error from the Ospreys defense allowed Craska to gain position at first base. Coleman then lined one up the middle to put two aboard. Rippen strung one down the right field line to allow Craska to score for the third run of the game. With two Lions on the basepath and zero outs, the Ospreys came out to talk to starting pitcher Dakota Stone with Walker digging into the right side of the batter's box.
Walker saw one pitch and delivered it 378 feet over the left field wall, to clear the bases and create the 6-0 advantage.
This bottom of the inning is remembered as a defensive stand, mainly from Loving in center field.
The lead-off man took the third pitch to right center, with the ball drifting towards the Crews Family Bullpen. The ball, rising over the wall, is snatched out of the air from Loving as he slams into the wall.
A bloop single from the next man gets one on the bases before UNF moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Then Boone Hosey entered the box. He saw a first pitch ball then swung at the next for the 1-1 count.
Patterson's third pitch was sent back towards right center and started to elevate once again. Out of thin air rose Loving once again to make the catch at the wall — another highlight play to end the Osprey's attack.
In the bottom of the seventh, North Florida opened up with a lead-off home run to cut into the lead, 6-1. The next batter popped up for the first out before a strikeout added a second one.
Then, rain found Melching Field at Conrad Park for the second consecutive day for North Alabama.
Gavin Oswald, Justin Battle, Ethan Moore, Charlie Cochran and Justus Agosto were those that led the charge on tapping the field this time around — potentially, an ode to the former Mike D. Lane Field.
What was thought to be a light drizzle met a sideways pouring with lightning clusters filled around the area.
After the four-hour and 12 minute hiatus, Davenport toed the rubber and worked one pitch for a line out to Santoyo.
LePage and Loving both walked to open the eighth inning which brought on a pitching change. Westmoreland pushed a long ball to the warning track to allow the tag-up for LePage to move 90-feet away.
Loving went for the steal at second which forced a throwing error from the Osprey's catcher. The ball ricocheted from Loving into the outfield, scoring LePage and moving Loving to third.
Then an energy sparked from the North Florida team and fans, that had been absent for a majority of the game. Back-to-back singles and a hit batter against Davenport allowed the chants to rise at Melching Field.
With the bases juiced, the next Osprey flew out to Walker in right but scored a run. A walk, fly out and walk reloaded the bases; another walk added a second score.
Enter Crumpton — who needed one out. A wild pitch hit the backstop for another UNF score. Crumpton then worked the next for a grounder to Santoyo to stop the bleeding at 7-4.
A response was needed and a response was given by the Lion bats.
Rippen battled back from a 1-2 count to force the walk. Walker then singled through the right side of the infield. Then, Millard squeezed in a backside double down the right field line for the double to score Rippen.
Santoyo returned in the next at-bat with the exact same hit to clear Millard and pinch runner Alex Wade from the basepath.
Westmoreland singled through the left side to score Santoyo and level the lead up 11-4.
As the Osprey's crowd started to quiet, Crumpton hit the first batter. Then a single put two on the bases. Crumpton worked the next for a swinging strikeout. The following batter grounded into a double play to LePage who flipped to Westmoreland for the throw to first.
The crowd rises…fans roar. The Lions are now 2-0 in the postseason.
Pitchers of Record
W – Tripp Patterson (7-4)
L – Dakota Stone (7-3)
S – Kelly Crumpton (1)
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama awaits to play the winner of No. 2 Lipscomb and No. 3 FGCU tomorrow in the winner's bracket.
To view the full bracket, click here.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
