JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball dropped both games of a doubleheader to Miami University on Opening Day, 4-1 and 8-4.
The Dolphins (0-2) played two on Saturday after a rainout on Friday pushed the 2021 season opener back a day.
"We're super competitive," said Head Coach
Chris Hayes. "These guys are going to continue to fight until that last pitch, that last out."
Miami struck first in game one, putting up a two-spot in the top of the second. The leadoff man reached on an error, followed by a pair of walks and an RBI fielder's choice, then a wild pitch by
Tyler Santana (0-1) gave them a 2-0 lead.
JU quickly responded in the bottom half, when
Christian Coipel doubled to lead off the inning, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on
Cory Heffron's sacrifice fly to center.
A single and a double to start the third gave Miami another run to push the lead back to two, 2-1, and they added one more in the seventh, thanks to a two-out rally, with a single followed by an RBI triple.
The Redhawks drew first blood in game two as well, pushing across a run after a leadoff triple and sacrifice fly in the third. JU took its first lead of the day in the bottom half of the inning.
Kyle Richardson drew a leadoff walk and after a questionable play in which
Ruben Someillan was called for interference at second base on an attempted double play,
Tommy Joseph delivered an RBI double and Coipel followed it up with an infield single that scored Joseph to put the Dolphins up 2-1.
Jacksonville added to its lead in the fifth, when Coipel walked and Heffron crushed his third career home run to right field to push the lead to 4-1.
Miami got one back in the sixth, when a two-out walk came in to score on a double by the next batter. The Redhawks took the lead for good in the eighth.
Jagger McCoy (0-1) surrendered a soft infield single, followed by a walk and then tried to force the runner at third on a bunt, but everyone was safe. He gave way to
Christian Graham, and a two more walks and a hit batsman gave Miami a 6-2 lead before the end of the frame.
They added two more in the top of the ninth to push the final margin to 8-4.
Jacksonville looks to salvage the series tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
