JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –A late surge by the Dolphins came up short as the Jacksonville University baseball team fell to MTSU in Game 2 of the three-game series; 8-5. The final game of Opening weekend in the 2015 campaign concludes tomorrow with another afternoon matchup set for 1 p.m., first pitch. The Dolphins remain at Sessions Stadium for the next five games.  

"These guys saw a glimpse of what we are capable of today," said head coach Tim Montez. "Again, it goes back to relaxing and taking advantage of what the other teams give us and capitalizing on some of the situations. Hats off to MTSU, they are going to strike out a few times but they are going to get their hacks in. Hopefully we can learn from watching that kind of aggressiveness. We have the momentum after putting up those runs in late innings."

Down 8-1 in the seventh inning, the Dolphins surged, gaining four runs off five hits in the stanza. Back-to-back doubles by senior Angelo Amendolare (1-for-4), setting two on the table for junior Connor Marabell (1-for-4) to manufacture two runs. Starting at DH, redshirt-sophomore Nathan Koslowski (2-for-4) singled, scoring Marabell—who advanced to third on sophomore Austin Hays' (0-for-4) groundout, 8-5 was the score after seven. 

Freshman Sam Armstrong (1-for-1) provided the spark for the resurgence in his first at-bat as a Dolphin, the Ocala native would smack a single up the middle to start the seventh. Starting his first behind the plate, senior Garrett Ruckel (2-for-4) followed suit with a scorcher to first base that went off Kevin Dupree's glove and Armstrong advanced to third base. Ruckel would score on Marabell's two RBI double. Starting off the scoring, junior Parker Perez (1-for-4) would send a ball to deep left field scoring Armstrong, and the Dolphins rally begun.

"The key to our club is going to be guys doing their roles when they are called upon," said Montez. "(Armstrong) really jump started the inning. We have to be able to mark on a three game series. (We) have no reason to panic, we just have to stay the course. It's still early and we just need to keep getting better each day."

Senior Cameron Gibson (1-for-4) was responsible for the first homerun by a Dolphin of 2015, sending a no-doubter to the deep alley in left, 375-plus feet. The solo-blast was Gibson's second of his Dolphin career. 

Montez would return to his back-end relievers in a 6-1 deficit early in the third, and they would surrender just two runs in four and two-thirds innings of work. Debuting for the Dolphins was righty freshman Gregory Shannahan who closed the door on the third, salvaging a one runner on base one out threat with a strikeout, while Ruckel gunned down his first runner of 2015 for the third and final out of the inning. Shannahan would go two more innings surrendering two runs, but recording four strikeouts. 

"On a day like this with the wind blowing out, it could get to be a double-digit affair in a heartbeat," said Montez. "Our bullpen was excellenet tonight in keeping us in the ballgame and gave us a chance to win."

The Dolphins would return to redshirt-freshman Shane Wise  who followed up last night's debut of two strikeouts with two more strikeouts, no runs in two innings of dealing. Also in debut mode for Montez relievers was sophomore Nathan Disch who was virtually untouchable. The Blue Raiders managed one hit and struck out three times complements of the Wisconsin-natives work in his first outing of 2015.

For MTSU, pitcher Kooper Kessler (1-0) got the win after giving up one run in five and two thirds innings recording a game-high eight strikeouts. The Dolphins got to pitcher Will Small who was responsible for the four runs in the seventh, but a combination of Garret Ring and Nathan Foriest (SV) would close the door on the JU charge when in the ninth, junior Dylan Dillard (1-for-1) would pinch-hit and with two outs, delivering a single to left, advancing Hays who was put on after four straight balls. Foriest struck out the tying run to complete the save --no runs on three hits in two and one third innings combined for the two relievers. 

Junior Josh Baker started on the mound for JU, going two and one third innings, three earned runs with four strikeouts. Baker has 10 strikeouts in his last two outings dating back to 2014.

The Dolphins will conclude the series with MTSU tomorrow at 1 p.m. before taking on Florida State at home, Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m.

@JUBaseball | #FearTheFin