HAMMOND, La. – Jacksonville University baseball came up just short in game dominated by pitching, falling 2-1 on Friday night at Southeastern Louisiana.
On a cold and windy night, there were a combined 27 strikeouts and only seven hits between the two teams as the Dolphins (1-5) dropped the opener of the series at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
Jacksonville scored in the first inning for the second straight game.
Scott Dubrule guided a single through the left side of the infield into left, after which
Anthony George drew a walk,
Cory Heffron was hit by a pitch and Chirstian Coipel also drew a walk, which drew in a run with the bases loaded.
It was 1-0 until the fourth, when Southeastern Louisiana managed a leadoff single, stole second and put runners at the corners after a bunt single. Another stolen base and consecutive RBI groundouts gave the Lions the lead for good.
Trent Palmer (0-1) was tremendous all night, facing the minimum through the first three innings, allowing only three hits in six innings of work and striking out a career-best 10 batters.
Palmer gave way to
Tyler Naumann in the seventh, and the junior worked out of a jam after he hit the leadoff batter, who proceeded to steal second and advance to third on a throwing error by George. Naumann fanned the next two hitters and induced a groundball to short that
Dakota Julylia stopped sliding deep in the hole and then fired to first in time to end the inning and the threat. Naumann needed only five pitches to sit down the Lions in the eighth.
The Dolphins had chances to tie it, none bigger than in the eighth, when Dubrule led off the inning with a double to left. He was stranded there after the next three hitters came up empty.
ON DECK
Jacksonville looks to even the series with Southeastern Louisiana, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. RHP
Tyler Santana takes the mound for JU, looking to build off of his solid start last Saturday vs. West Virginia.
HODGES MAZDA PLAYER OF THE GAME
2B
Scott Dubrule recorded the first three-hit game of the season for a Dolphin. He singled in the first and the fifth, and doubled in the eighth. He also scored the lone run of the game for JU.
NOTABLES
- With 10 strikeouts tonight, Trent Palmer became the first Dolphin pitcher to record 10 or more strikeouts in a game since AJ Jones had 10 on March 24 of last season vs. Lipscomb
- Jacksonville pitching ramped up its season total for strikeouts to 61 on the year
- Scott Dubrule became the second Dolphin to record multiple multi-hit games this season
