JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville University softball (13-17) kicked off ASUN Conference play Saturday afternoon with the first two games of a series against Stetson (10-17). Splitting the two Saturday games, Jacksonville pulled out a come-from-behind extra-innings victory in game one before struggling to keep the Hatters in check during the second. 

Game One

Junior Alyssa Bilodeau earned her seventh win of the season in the circle for the Dolphins today. Bilodeau allowed just four Stetson hits and earned one run in eight innings pitched. Despite Bilodeau's strong performance in the circle, the Dolphins still found themselves needing a pair of runs to keep the game alive during the bottom of the seventh. 

Hannah Roberts and Abby Genest got the inning started by both reaching with infield singles. Two batters later, the first run came home after Rodebaugh reached on a fielder's choice. Then, after exhausting all but one out, Kasi Shaffer knocked in the game-tying run with a single up the middle. 

The two runs were all Jacksonville could grab in the seventh, but they were just enough to send the game to extra innings. Three outs later, a Nydia Perez walk-off hit over the left fielder's head in the bottom of the eighth scored Makenzie Buss and gave Jacksonville their first conference win of the season. It was the Dolphins' ninth hit of the game. Shaffer, Roberts, and Kassidy Cross each recorded two hits at the plate in the game one.

Game Two

Jacksonville put together another 9-hit, 3-run outing in the second game, but it would not be enough to top the Hatters. The Dolphins rotated through three pitchers that each had trouble keeping Stetson off the board.

After scoring run in the fourth, the Dolphins trailed 4-2 heading into the fifth inning and appeared to be making another attempt at a comeback. However, a big fifth inning pushed the Hatters' lead to seven. Jacksonville found one more run in the bottom of the seventh, but a 9-3 final in favor of the Hatters kept the series up for grabs.

Cross and Shaffer both added two more hits to their daily total in the second game, and Nydia Perez earned a second RBI. Seana Mora was credited with the loss.

Next, Jacksonville plays part three of the weekend series at 1 PM on Sunday. The game is set to be broadcast on ESPN+.