DELAND, Fla. – For the second straight night, it took extra innings, and again #4 seed Jacksonville University baseball prevailed.
The Dolphins (32-25) plated three in the top of the 10th to beat #2 seed Liberty 9-6 early on Friday morning at Melching Field on day two of the ASUN Baseball Championship. JU advances to face #6 seed Stetson at 1 p.m.
"Those were two really good teams going at each other, giving each other their best punch," said Head Coach
Chris Hayes. "We just kept pushing, persevering and were able to find some barrels."
Dakota Juylia scored the first two runs of the game, coming in on
Jacob Southern's double to left in the first, and making it 2-0 in the third when he came across on a wild pitch.
A three spot in the fifth made it 5-0 Jacksonville, thanks to
John Cassala's bases loaded walk and Southern's second run scoring hit of the night, a two RBI single.
JU starter
AJ Jones scattered six hits over 5.2 innings, stranding seven men on base while allowing only one run.
Liberty put together its rally in the seventh. A one-out hit was followed by a home run to right to bring the Flames within two. Then a single, hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases, before another walk brought in a run to make it 5-4. A weak groundball to the left side of the infield plated another run to tie it, before
Zach Bryant came in and induced a flyball that gave Liberty the lead, but got a strikeout to end the inning.
Jacksonville responded right away, with
Cory Garrastazu drawing a one out walk and advancing to second on Julylia's fourth hit of the night. A wild pitch moved the runners up and
Scott Dubrule shot a single to left center to tie it at eight.
It stayed tied until the 10th, when Garrastazu again got it started, singling to right. Julylia sacrificed him to second. Dubrule was intentionally walked and
John Cassala walked to load the bases.
Angel Camacho lifted a sacrifice fly to right to put JU in front, and Southern cleared the bases with his second double of the night, giving him five RBI on the night.
Bryant faced the minimum in 3.2 innings of relief, locking down the Flames offense and earning the win.
Due to the late finish, tomorrow's winner's bracket game was pushed back from its original 11 a.m. start time. This is the second straight year Jacksonville meets the Hatters with a berth in the championship game on the line.
