JACKSONVILLE (SportsDay) – Jacksonville University baseball was back home on Wednesday night as they fell to the Georgia Southern Eagles, 5-4.
Aiden Kelly started on the bump for the Dolphins going four innings and put up a zero on the scoreboard. Aiden struck out three batters and walking two.
Both pitchers cruised in the early going and the two sides were locked up at 0-0 through two innings.
Georgia Southern was up in the top of the third and drew a one out walk. A base hit into left field put runners at first and third for the Eagles as the bottom of the Eagles order got to Kelly.
On a bunt attempt back to the pitcher, Aiden went home to Colin Wetterau and tagged the Eagles runner out for the second out of the inning to preserve the tie. A ground out on a fielders choice (6-4) got the Dolphins out of the inning.
The Eagles went to bullpen to start the fourth inning as Elias Flowers dug in to try to get the Dolphins offense going. A four pitch walk gave the top of the Jacksonville order a runner.
Elias advanced to second base on a wild pitch that gave Chase Malloy an opportunity. A fly out to right field moved Flowers up another 90 feet to third with one away. Justin Nadeau was due up as the Eagles made another pitching change as the Dolphins were threatening.
On a fly ball to left field, an error on the catcher allowed Flowers to score from third to give Jacksonville a 1-0 lead. The inning didn’t end there, however, as Kris Armstrong slapped a base hit into right field to keep the inning going.
Hogan McIntosh hit a ball into right field that allowed Armstrong to advance to third but on another Eagles error, this time on the right fielder, Armstrong came all the way around to score and McIntosh moved up to second. Georgia Southern stranded McIntosh there but the damage was done as Jacksonville took a 2-0 lead.
Aiden Kelly came back out for the top of the fourth as he was cruising early in the ball game. A one out walk out an Eagles runner on base but Georgia Southern stranded him as Kelly continued to work through four innings.
Jack Carver came in relieve Aiden Kelly to start the top of the fifth inning. A hit by pitch put a runner on first for the Eagles as they were trying to climb back into the game.
A walk out two on and a bunt single loaded the bases as Georgia Southern turned the line up over with nobody out. A base hit to centerfield scored two runs to tie the game at two a piece. With nobody out and runners at the corner, Carver hit yet another Eagle batter to load the bases.
A pitching change was made by Coach Hayes and it was the sophomore, Layton Perry. On a ground out (1-3), the Eagles plated a third run of the inning but Perry settled things down and stranded two. The damage was done for Georgia Southern though as they took their first lead of the game, 3-2 going into the bottom of the fifth.
The Dolphins were quick to respond in the bottom of the fifth as with two outs in the inning Justin Nadeau stepped in the left handed batters box. Justin blasted his second home-run of the season over the right field wall to tie the game back at three a piece. Kris Armstrong was due up as the Dolphins went back-to-back as Armstrong lifted one over the right field wall as Jacksonville took the lead, 4-3.
The Eagles got a man aboard to start the sixth inning as Layton Perry went back out after getting the final two out of the fifth. A walk put two on with nobody out as the Eagles were threatening. A sacrifice bunt moves the runners up to second and third with one out.
The Dolphins went back to the bullpen and called upon Parker Murphy. On a 2-2 count, Murphy punched out the batter for a huge second out of the inning. A walk loaded the bases and Coach Hayes went back to his bullpen.
Divine Valle was tasked with getting the final out as the Eagles had the bases loaded. On a 3-2 count, a walk dealt by Valle tied the game at 4-4. A ground ball to shortstop, Chase Malloy, got the Dolphins out of the inning on a fielders choice, 6-4.
Zeros flashed up on the scoreboard throughout the next two 1/2 innings as we entered the top of the ninth inning tied at four. Blake Barquin took the ball for Jacksonville.
A lead off base hit for the Eagles put the go ahead run aboard with the heart of the Georgia Southern order coming up. Following a strikeout from Barquin and a fly out to left field, a stolen base put the runner in scoring position with two away.
On a 1-2 count, a base hit into right centerfield scored the runner for the Eagles to give them a 5-4 lead in the ninth.
