BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Jacksonville University baseball split a doubleheader with NJIT on Saturday at TD Bank Ballpark.
 
The Dolphins (18-10, 5-1) used four runs late to take the lead and win game one, 5-2, and surrendered four runs in the seventh inning of game two to fall 5-2 to the Highlanders.
 
GAME ONE
 
NJIT scored first in game one, after Jacksonville left runners on in the first two innings. A single, followed by a walk to start the bottom of the second, and after a double play, the Highlanders singled to go up 1-0.
 
JU tied it in the fourth, when Scott Dubrule walked with one out and advanced to second when Cory Heffron reached on a throwing error from the NJIT shortstop. Jacob Southern delivered with an RBI single after falling behind in the count 0-2 and fouling off three straight pitches before his hit tied it at one.
 
Trent Palmer settled into a rhythm after allowing the early run, retiring 10 straight Highlanders at one point, until a two out walk followed by an RBI double to put NJIT back on top 2-1 in the sixth.
 
Once the Dolphins got to the NJIT bullpen, the offense came alive. Dakota Julylia started the eighth with a single and beat the throw to second on a fielder's choice. With two on and no outs, Dubrule shot a single into left, tying it up at two. With one out, Southern came through again, driving in the go-ahead run with another single.
 
Entering the ninth leading 3-2, JU added some insurance. Reagan Wright laced a single to left on the first pitch of the inning, followed by Ruben Someillan's bunt single. Julylia sacrificed the runners over, and reached himself when the third baseman threw it away, allowing pinch runner Kyle Richardson to score. Angel Camacho hit into a double play, but Someillan came into score to make it 5-2.
 
Jagger McCoy (1-1) allowed only two baserunners in three innings of relief work to earn his first collegiate win.
 
GAME TWO
 
Jacksonville started game two with some early offense. Julylia doubled and went to third on Camacho's single. Dubrule drove in the run on a fielder's choice to give JU an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Dolphins tacked on one more in the third, when Dubrule doubled to left field to start the frame. Heffron bunted him over, but a throwing error allowed him to reach and Dubrule to score to make it 2-0.
 
AJ Jones made a habit of stranding runners in the first few innings, with five Highlanders left on through the first four innings. But a leadoff triple in the fifth ended his day, and groundout brought in the first run of the game for NJIT two batters later.
 
It stayed 2-1 JU until the seventh, when the Dolphins loading the bases for the second time in the game in the sixth, but left them loaded when pinch-hitter Cory Garrastazu's line drive to right was caught on a dive to end the inning.
 
NJIT started the seventh with a single off of the leg of Austin Temple. JU brought in Kevin Faulkner (0-1) who's failed pickoff attempt moved the tying run to second. He got a ground out of the pinch hitter, but the runner moved to third. Nick Love replaced Faulkner, and a single through the infield in on the right side put NJIT in front. The Highlanders finished the inning with four runs on five hits, and led 5-2.
 
JU threatened in the ninth, putting two on with one out, but could not push across any runs. The Dolphins left 11 men on base in the game, and suffered its first loss of ASUN Conference play.
 
JU next heads to Tallahassee for a tilt with Florida State on Tuesday.