FLORENCE, Ala. -- Bryant Claunch got his fourth straight win in ASUN Conference play and the University of North Alabama used a flury of bunts to spark rallies in the seventh and eight innings as the Lions posted an 8-4 win over North Florida at Mike Lane Field.

UNA, now 11-27 overall and 5-9 in ASUN play, broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning when a perfect Tate Mathis bunt single scored Davis Elliott for a 4-3 UNA lead. The Lions then got two bunt singles and a sacrifice bunt to spark a four-run rally in the eighth for an 8-3 lead.

The Ospreys, now 23-17 overall and 8-6 in league play, got one run in their final at bat but were held in check by Claunch.

Jacob Laws started for UNA and struckout six batters in the first two innings before walking the bases loaded in the third. Claunch came on with one out and got a sacrifice fly, which drove in one run, and allowed a single to plate two others for a 3-1 UNF lead.

Claunch would follow with five straight scoreless innings as the Lions rallied to take the lead. He is now 4-1 overall and 4-0 in ASUN play with all four wins coming in relief. He pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just one run on four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.

UNA took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Reid Singewald doubled and scored on an RBI-single by Peyton Sockwell.

After UNF scored three runs in the third, UNA tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as Mathis and Singewald walked and Sockwell followed with an RBI-double. Singewald then scored on a passed ball to tie the game.

Davis Elliott walked to leadoff the seventh and Kevin Brenning was hit-by-pitch. Ben Kiefer sacrificed the runners over and Elliott scored on Mathis bunt single to give UNA a 4-3 lead.

In the eighth, Sockwell led off with a bunt single and Reid Homan was hit-by-pitch. Another bunt single by Colt Chrestman loaded the bases and a squeeze bunt by Harris kain drove in Sockwell to make it 5-3. Elliott was hit-by-pitch to re-load the bases and two more runs scored ona Brenning single. The final run came home on a sacrifice fly by Kiefer.

UNA plays at Memphis on Monday and Tuesday before traveling to Ft. Myers, Fla., next weekend for an ASUN Conference series.


Bryant Claunch pitched 6.2 innings in relief to get his fourth straight win in ASUN Conference play.