JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University softball kicked off 2018 by winning its first two games of the season at home in the River City Leadoff. The Dolphins walked off with a 1-0 victory over Connecticut in the season opener, then rallied back with a five-run third inning to defeat Jacksonville State, 8-6 in the night cap.

"We're just so proud of our girls. We won in two totally different fashions and we had great pitching all day long.  We found a way to win a close game against UConn and then our batters came alive against Jacksonville State. They're a good team and we found a way to beat them," mentioned head coach Erica Ayers after the second win. 

vs. UConn

Combined efforts from sophomore pitchers Alyssa Bilodeau and Seana Mora led to a shutout in eight innings. Bilodeau pitched 6.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and only gave up four hits. Mora faced the minimum number of batters through the final 2.0 innings to seal the victory. Senior Jordan Daniels went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double.

After Mora retired the Huskies in order in the top of the eighth, the Dolphins capitalized on the tournament tiebreaker rules which placed a runner on second to start the bottom half of the inning. Senior Heather Roberts laid a sacrifice bunt down the first base line to send senior Allie McCourt to third with one out. Senior Danielle Baker brought in the game-winning run on an identical bunt up the first base line.

vs. Jacksonville State

Jacksonville's bats came alive in the second game as the Dolphins brought in eight runs on 13 hits. JU erased a three-run first inning deficit, scoring a combined seven over the next two frames.  Freshman Hannah Roberts drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and classmate Serena Quinata drove in another with a huge double down the left field line to cap the Dolphins' five-run third inning.

Threatening a comeback with a run in both the sixth and seventh innings, the Gamecocks pressured the Dolphins late in the game. Despite Jacksonville State's 4-for-4 performance from shortstop Taylor Beshears – and runners on second and third with the game-winning run at the plate – the Dolphins shut the door on the Gamecocks and held on for an 8-6 victory.

Freshmen Haley Holloway and Maddie Kaufman combined for six strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work in the circle. Mora tossed the final 1.0 inning to earn the save. Daniels and Hannah Roberts drove in a pair of runs each as both went 2-for-4 at the plate. Sophomore Makenzie Buss lit up the basepaths with a trio of stolen bags and finished 2-for-2.

The Dolphins return to action Saturday, Feb. 10 to face the Huskies in a rematch at 3:30 pm, followed by a meeting with Army at 6:00 pm.