JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the second straight night, strong starting pitching, a big lead and the clutch right arm of Chris Mauloni led Jacksonville University baseball (10-5) to a win over Bradley (8-3). The Dolphins prevailed 9-5 and took the series from the Braves Saturday night at John Sessions Stadium.
"Tyler Santana worked really well with Jacob Southern tonight, threw three pitches for strikes, pounded the zone and let our defense do the work," said Head Coach Chris Hayes.
Bradley struck first tonight, when leadoff hitter Luke Shadid doubled to start the game. Two groundouts later, he scored, but JU starter Santana (2-1) buckled down after that, with his offense providing a lift.
Jacksonville answered back with a Southern long ball in the second, his third homer of the season, which tied it at one. That began a streak of five straight innings that the Dolphins would plate runs.
The third began with Connor Stephens wearing a pitch, before Ruben Someillan blooped a single into left. Two batters later, Scott Dubrule hit a slow chopper deep into the hole a short. His infield single led to a run when Bradley's shortstop Shadid committed an error going to third with the throw, one of three defensive miscues tonight for the Braves. Someillan went all the way to third on the play and scored on an RBI groundout by Angel Camacho. A wild pitch scored Dubrule from third and JU led 4-1 after three innings.
Sam Armstrong clubbed a solo home run to lead off the fourth and welcome Bradley reliever Alex Gray to the game, his first of the year and 18th of his career. JU added another in the fifth to make it 6-1 on an RBI single to left for Southern that scored Dubrule. It was the third time this season Southern has recorded multiple RBI in a game.
Two more scored in the sixth when Someillan doubled in Stephens, then scored on a throwing error by Braves third baseball Brendan Dougherty, and JU led 8-1 through six innings.
"We knew we were going to have to score to put as much pressure on them as we could," said Hayes.
Santana, who had not pitched deeper than the fifth since his first outing of the season, threw a career high 103 pitches in 6.2, backed by a defense that turned two double plays and caught two runners stealing. Bradley, who banged out 10 hits against him, put two more on in the seventh and scored them both to bring the Braves within three and end Santana's night. Austin Temple relieved him, and after walking the first batter he faced and falling behind 3-0 on the next, he fought back to strike him out and strand two men on.
JU tacked on one more in the bottom of the eighth, when Someillan singled with two outs, his third hit of the night, he scored from first after he was put in motion on a Chris Lehane single to right center. The ball went under the glove of the centerfielder, rolling all the way to the warning track and Lehane ended up at third. He was stranded there, but JU took a 9-3 lead to the ninth.
The Braves tried for some more late inning magic, hitting a two-run home run and loading the bases with just one out against two different Dolphin pitchers. Mauloni's number was called at that point, and again he slammed the door, recording a strikeout and a flyout to center to end the game and register his seventh save.
"Throughout the whole game you have to keep your mind on 'what if I do come in', so your head is never really out of the game," said Mauloni. "When you finally get out on the mound you have to channel that adrenaline and get your job done."
This is the fastest JU has won 10 games in a season since 2008.
Jacksonville goes for the series sweep tomorrow at 1 p.m., potentially a second consecutive home sweep. Mike Cassala takes the bump for JU, with a 2-0 record and an 0.95 ERA. It is Kids Day at the ballpark, with everyone 18 and under getting free admission, hot dog and ice cream, plus bounce houses and a chance to run the bases after the game.
