JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In game one of the Atlantic Sun conference slate, the Jacksonville University baseball shutout visiting Lipscomb (17-10; 0-1) for a 10-0 victory on Thursday night at John Sessions Stadium. The second game of the series is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday evening.

The Dolphins (14-15; 1-0) were led on the mound by freshman Michael Baumann's (4-0) career-high 6.2 innings pitched in the shutout effort with seven strikeouts and just three hits. Seven different batters drove in a run in the lineup with Austin Hays (2-for-4) an RBI and Connor Marabell (2-for-2) with two RBI for his 30th.

"That's just about the best all-around game we've put forth this season," said head coach Tim Montez. "We did well with our execution, a lot of guys had solid performance. Big Mike set the tone and we played great defense behind him. It was nice to show up like that and it just so happened it occurred during the first conference game. We aren't good enough to get happy, we need to come back tomorrow with the same mindset we had tonight and win every inning." 

JU would get to Lipscomb pitcher Ian Martinez-McGraw, who entered with the lowest ERA in conference at 1.20, driving in 10 runs between the second and sixth frames. Hays would begin the hit parade with a single into centerfield after Marabell was aboard with one-of-two walks for the night, and freshman Sam Armstrong (1-for-3) would deliver yet again, an RBI-single for his 13th in 19 games played. 

Hays has been white-hot at the dish, 16 hits over the last seven games and two tonight for his eighth multi-hit game of the season. 

"We had a game plan to get our pitch and focused on getting into fastball counts," said Hays of opposing pitcher Martinez-McGraw. "That's exactly what we did. We did a really good job with runners in scoring position, we battled and drove in the runners we needed to drive in. We played good defense behind our pitching, which gives them more confidence to throw strikes and to trust us behind them."

The Bisons had two extra-base hits with Johnathan Allison doubling in the eighth was really, the only scoring threat of the evening, would be shut down quickly after a single, a throw from Hays in right field would fire a bullet to home to end the inning.

"I wasn't planning on throwing it home," said Hays of the gathering of the single for the 9-2 putout. "But when it bounced Gibby (Gibson who was in CF) said shoot 'em, shoot 'em, shoot 'em—so I peaked and saw he was one step from third and turning home, so I let it rip."

Baumann recorded his eight-consecutive start with five strikeouts or more for his team-high 49th in a seven strikeout evening en route to his fourth win of the year.

"The team helped me prepare in knowing what to expect in conference play," said Baumann on his first dealings with the conference slate. "They said there would be a whole new feel to the game. I just knew to stick to my approach and prepare just like I had been doing all season."

"It's easy to relax out there," said Baumann of the 10-run cushion his teammates provided. "But you have to stay focused and dialed in because your teammates are picking you up, you have to continue to pick them up. I have a ton of respect for Luther (his catcher in all eight starts) he's teaching me about this game and I learn a lot from him, it's fun when he's back there."

A token of the execution, Parker Perez (0-for-1) achieved two sacrifice-fly's for two-RBI, while JJ Gould (2-for-4) laid down two-perfect bunts for singles. Angelo Amendolare (2-for-5) also stole his conference-leading 14th base and tallied his 26th RBI. 

"It'll be a tight-knit game tomorrow," said Montez on game two of the series Saturday at 6 p.m. "Lipscomb is going to come out tomorrow firing on all cylinders. They are going to be just as aggressive as we were today. We are going to need to strap it on and put our nose to the grindstone for the rest of the series." 

Justin Russell (2-4) is slated to go on the mound Friday at John Sessions Stadium.

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