JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball fell to #35 West Virginia 3-0 in a pitcher's duel in the 2020 season opener on Friday night at John Sessions Stadium.
 
The Dolphins (0-1) battled to bring to the tying run to the plate twice in the bottom of the ninth, but ultimately could not find a way to push the runs across.

Both starting pitchers, Trent Palmer for Jacksonville and Jackson Wolf for West Virginia, managed to settle in early. After Palmer allowed two of the first three men he faced to reach base, he buckled down to retire eight Mountaineers in a row. He was pressured again in the fifth, when a leadoff two-base error gave WVU a man in scoring position to start the inning. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and another bunt became an infield single when Palmer slipped fielding it. With runners at second and third and only one out, Palmer fielded a comebacker and threw quickly to third, where he got the runner trying to tag up for out number two. A strikeout ended the inning and the threat.
 
Mike Cassala (0-1) relieved Palmer in the sixth and sat down West Virginia in order, bookending his first inning of work since March 11, 2018 with a pair of strikeouts. He came back out for the seventh and allowed a single before hitting the next batter to start the inning. After another sacrifice bunt to move the runners up and a strikeout, Cassala gave way to Nick Love, who fired in two quick strikes before an 0-2 pitch was poked into left field for a two-run single.
 
West Virginia added one more in the eighth on a bases loaded sacrifice fly.
 
Jacksonville collected its first hit of the night when Anthony George broke through on Wolf, belting a gapper to left center that one-hopped off the wall for a double. He doubled again off the wall in left in the ninth after a Scott Dubrule infield single, but they were stranded at second and third to end the game.

 

UP NEXT
 
Jacksonville takes the field again on Saturday to resume the series with West Virginia. RHP Tyler Santana starts for the Dolphins. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
HODGES MAZDA PLAYER OF THE GAME
 
Junior RHP Trent Palmer threw five strong innings in his Friday night debut. The Ramsey, Minn. native made his return to the weekend rotation in style, allowing only two hits and no runs while fanning six and walking two in the no-decision.
 
NOTABLES
 

• Six different players made their Dolphin debuts on Friday night. Langston Provitt started in left, Anthony George behind the dish and Stephen Moffatt at third base, while Tyler McKenna appeared as a pinch-hitter, and Tyler Naumann and Avery Love both appeared in relief
• Jacksonville's pitching staff set a program record for strikeouts and K/9 last season, and got off to a good start again tonight. The staff combined to fan 12 Mountaineers, led by Palmer's six K's.
• Cassala, in his first appearance after Tommy John surgery, went 711 days between pitching performances