Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A strong start by Spencer Stockton and a barrage of runs helped Jacksonville to 9-2 victory and series win against Samford Sunday at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
"The story of the game was starting pitching again and Stockton did a nice job locating all three pitches," said Head Coach Tim Montez. "That was a nice way to finish up the weekend. We showed a lot of character and had guys up and down the lineup contribute again. Young (Mike) Cassala did a good job behind the plate. Austin Hays did his thing again, and it was nice to see Nathan Koslowski and Sam Armstrong get on-track with better at-bats"
Stockton (3-0) earned the win with two runs on four hits in six innings. The two Samford (11-9) runs came off a sixth inning home run by Hunter Swilling. He walked three batters and fanned four.
Jacksonville (13-6) started the scoring with a run in the opening frame to mark the 17th time in 19 games that the Dolphins scored before the opposition. Parker Perez led off the game with a walk, then reached third on an error on a pickoff attempt. Hays took a 3-2 pitch to deep centerfield to score Perez on a sacrifice fly.
The Dolphins scored three runs in consecutive innings, beginning with solo home runs in the third by Cassala (career first) and Austin Hays (conference-leading eighth). After a Sam Armstrong single and swipe of second base, Koslowski stroked an RBI single to left field.
In the fourth, Evan Fernandez singled, stole second, and scored on a Cassala single. Armstrong would later single home Perez, and Hays scored JU's final run of the inning on a wild pitch.
The Dolphins added insurance in the seventh on single by Angel Camacho to plate Armstrong.
Jacksonville's last score of the afternoon came on a ninth inning-groundout by Koslowski that scored Hays, who led off the inning with a double.
The Dolphins totaled nine hits and saw two-hit games from Hays, Koslowski, and Cassala, while Hays and Koslowski each drove in two runs.
Connor Radcliff (1-3) was the losing pitcher with three runs on three hits over three innings. In a similar fashion to the previous two games of the series, Samford used a surplus of pitchers to piece together the remaining innings. Six relievers combined for six hits and four runs in six innings.
Chris Gau allowed only one hit over two innings of relief while walking none and tallying a strikeout.
Jeff Tanner pitched for the first time this season and finished the ninth inning with one hit, one walk, and a game-ending strikeout.
"It was a nice debut for Tanner coming off season-ending surgery last season," said Montez. "Today was his debut, and with him and Casey Kulina back over the next couple of weeks, it makes us makes us deeper."
The Dolphins return home to face Charleston Southern Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. before traveling to East Carolina for a series that begins Mar. 24.
