NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Five lead changes, four hours and 34 minutes of two weather delays, and 26 hits detailed a wild finish to Jacksonville's season in a 9-7 loss to Stetson in the 2016 Atlantic Sun Baseball Championship at Dugan Field. Jacksonville finished its season with a record of 33-22, and Stetson (27-29) continued its run in the tournament.
"That's a tough way to end a season and is not indicative of how we played most of the year," said Head Coach Tim Montez. "We didn't take advantage of opportunities, but I am extremely proud of how these guys battled through tough conditions. The seniors gave everything they had this season and I can't thank them enough."
The Hatters were quick to jump on Dolphin starter Michael Baumann. Vance Vizcaino tripled down the right field line and scored two batters later on a Cory Reid double to right. Reid was thrown out trying to stretch the RBI hit into a triple.
The Dolphins put their first dent in the scoreboard thanks to a power bat from Nathan Koslowski. With two outs in the second and Austin Hays and Angel Camacho aboard with singles, he blasted his second home run of the season over the right field wall.
Stetson answered an inning later. Reid reached on a leadoff walk, and John Fussell singled. Kirk Sidwell grounded to short, and JJ Gould tried to turn two but Gould's throw hit Fussell's right hand as he tried to break up a double play.
The Hatters started another threat in the fourth when Kevin Fagan walked, Colton Lightner reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt, and Vizcaino laid down a bunt single on the first base line. With the bags full and no outs, lightning hit and the contest entered into a 101-minute rain delay.
Baumann would not reenter and was charged with five runs off six hits in three innings. He walked four and struck out two. Mike Cassala took his spot following the delay and Matt Morales grounded to short, where Gould made a force-out toss to third, and Stetson tied the game. The Hatters took the lead later in the inning on a wild pitch, and a Sidwell RBI single gave the sixth-seeded Hatters a 5-3 lead.
Stetson starter Erik Wiebke also saw his day done after the weather delay. The southpaw gave up three runs on a trio hits in three innings. He had one walk and a pair of punch-outs.
Logan Gilbert took his place on the hill and gave up a solo home run to Hays in the fourth. The dinger was the 16th of the season for Hays, who continues to pace the conference. With two outs in the inning and a runner on following Seth DeWitt's walk, lightning struck again and the teams entered into a delay that would last near three hours.
Adam Schaly took Gilbert's spot to resume the game and fanned Koslowski, but after Spencer Stockton worked a clean fifth taking over for Cassala, Jacksonville took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Parker Perez beat out an infield single with one out, and Dakota Julylia reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt following an errant throw from Schaly to second. Gould singled home Perez to tie the game, and after a Hays strikeout, Camacho sent a bouncing ball to second. Matt Morales' throw to first was bounced in the dirt and two Dolphins scored on the error.
Stetson retook the lead with drama in the eighth. Vizcaino doubled on a high pop up on the left field line that neither shortstop Gould nor left fielder Koslowski could track down accurately. Stockton fanned Morales, but Reid jumped on the first pitch of the at-bat on a double that banged the wall in right. Hays' throw to third wasn't fielded and bounced into the JU third-base dugout, and Reid was awarded home to tie the contest. Three-straight singles from Fussell, Sidwell, and Hale gave the Hatters the lead, 8-7.
Lefty Casey Kulina looked to end the Hatter damage with runners on the corners, but Mackenzie dribbled a groundball through the six-hole.
Walker Sheller worked the final two innings for his 10th save, Stockton took the loss to fall to 5-5, and Schaly pitched 3.1 innings for the win and moved to 2-6.
"We've got a lot of room for improvement and the future is bright. We are back on the map as a program with plenty of good things to look forward to with the direction of this program," said Montez. "Even though it was a tough night, I can't take away from the effort from our team and we had some big wins throughout the year. That's all you can ask as a head coach."
