JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville softball hosted Holy Cross Wednesday evening in their first doubleheader action of the season. The 'Phins played a long 23 combined innings over the two games, and wound up going 1-1 against the Crusaders after ending the night with a 3-run comeback in the bottom of the last inning.

Game One

Junior pitcher Alyssa Bilodeau went an incredible 16 innings in a losing effort to the Crusaders Wednesday night. Seven hits netted just two runs against Bilodeau, and a career-high 15 strikeouts got her team through nearly three hours of play.

The crusaders found a single run in the top of the second after Erin Bengston reached on a walk, then eventually made her way home on a Jacksonville throwing error. An inning later it was JU's turn to hang one up. Carolyn O'Neal got the inning started with a single, then was advanced thanks to a single by Nydia Perez. A fielding error by Holy Cross gave O'Neal the opportunity to score and even things up at 1-1.

The game then saw 12 consecutive innings with neither team able to deal damage and a combined seven hits. The Dolphins looked for a path to victory during the bottom of the 14th when Hannah Roberts made her way to third with just one out after being walked. Unfortunately for the 'Phins, a pair of quick outs to follow sent them deeper into extra innings.

It wasn't until the top of the 16h that the silence was broken by the Crusaders. Bailey Chavez reached on a throwing error, and eventually made her way home for the go-ahead run in this one. It looked like Jacksonville might find a game-tying run in the bottom of the inning when Roberts reached third again with just one out, but three batters later and the game was over. 

Each team recorded seven hits and a pair of errors. Roberts recorded two of the hits for JU, while also reaching twice on walks. Bilodeau's seven allowed hits came over the course of 58 batters faced.

Game Two

Unlike the first game of the day, the second was littered with scoring throughout a regulation seven innings. The 'Phins battled their way back from a 3-run deficit in the last inning to end the doubleheader with walk-off heroics. 

This time it was Seana Mora in the circle for the 'Phins, and the junior went seven innings to collect her third win of the season. Mora allowed eight runs and got three on strikes before letting the Dolphins' bats do the rest of the work.

Holy Cross tacked on unanswered runs in the second and fourth innings, then added a third in the sixth before JU came up with a response. It was a big answer by the 'Phins, who put together a 3-hit, 3-run inning to tie the ball game. However, Holy Cross also exploded with three runs in the top of the seventh. 

Trailing 6-3 with three outs remaining, the 'Phins strung together enough successful at bats to get the job done in the bottom of the final inning. Five hits and four runs proved to be Jacksonville's best half-inning at the plate. Roberts, who knocked in the second run in the seventh, made it home thanks to a Victoria Rodebaugh sacrifice fly to end the game. 

Makenzie Buss, Abby Genest , and Kassidy Cross each went 2-4 for the 'Phins, while Genest's three RBI's topped all players. Her triple was also the first of the season for Jacksonville. Cross now leads the 'Phins with 20 hits on the season.

Next, Jacksonville hosts another tournament over the weekend with seven teams in attendance. Jacksonville's first game will be Friday, Mar. 8 against Georgetown at 4:30 PM.