TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — The North Florida Ospreys erupted for 15 runs on 10 hits, capitalizing on a relentless offensive approach and early control issues by Florida A&M pitching to rout the Rattlers 15-4 in a non-conference baseball game Wednesday evening at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium.

The most important part of the game came in a decisive top of the third inning, where the Ospreys broke open a close contest with a seven-run outburst, turning a 5-4 lead into an insurmountable 12-4 advantage. The inning was highlighted by a three-run home run from designated hitter Matthew Farner and featured two costly Florida A&M errors that extended the frame and allowed five of the seven runs to be unearned.

North Florida (3-2) set the tone from the outset, scoring three times in the first inning and twice more in the second, largely via patience at the plate and opportunistic hitting. The Ospreys drew 13 walks as a team and were aided by four wild pitches and two Rattlers errors.

Florida A&M (1-3) showed early fight, answering North Florida’s three-run first with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, keyed by an RBI double from Adam Monile and a run-scoring single from Joseph Campbell. The Rattlers added another run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Campbell to cut the deficit to 5-4, but would get no closer.

The Ospreys’ seven-run third inning put the game out of reach. It began with Drew Buchanan and Mitchell Collins singling, followed by an error that allowed Buchanan to score. Farner then launched his three-run homer to left field. Later, Sean Benjamin added an RBI double, while Santiago Ordonez and Jonathan Acosta contributed sacrifice flies.

North Florida added three final runs in the sixth inning on a two-run single by Benjamin, who finished with three RBIs. Jackson Toberman also drove in three runs for the Ospreys, while Collins scored four times despite only collecting two hits.

Justen Crews was a bright spot for the Rattlers, going 3 for 4 with two runs scored. Florida A&M managed eight hits but stranded multiple runners, hitting into two sacrifice flies.

The lopsided result defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a narrow 7-6 victory for Florida A&M. The Ospreys’ win probability based on ELO ratings was 55.9%.

North Florida’s victory followed a 12-4 loss to Charleston Southern on Tuesday. The Ospreys will begin a three-game series against Quinnipiac at home on Friday. Florida A&M, which has lost three of its first four, travels to Vero Beach, Florida, to face Alabama State on Friday as part of a weekend tournament.