AUBURN, Ala. – The Jacksonville University softball got the early draw to start day two of the Auburn Tiger Invite Friday morning at Jane B. Moore Stadium, as they squared off against IUPUI. The Dolphins' (5-5) used a big first inning in game one and battled to back from behind in game two to complete the sweep of the Jaguars (0-2), winning the opener 12-0 in five innings and taking game two 8-2.
 
In game one, JU started the morning off in a big way, sending 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run first inning. Makenzie Buss got things rolling after she was hit by a pitch on the first offering of the day and subsequently stole second, after which Victoria Rodebaugh singled back up the middle to score Buss for the first run of the game. After a fielder's choice and walk with the bases loaded made it 3-0, Madison Kennedy lined a two-run single to center to make it a 5-0 game. Two batters later, Buss stepped back to the plate and doubled to the gap in left center to score two more before Rodebaugh singled to right to bring Buss around and make it 8-0 Dolphins.
 
IUPUI had an opportunity to answer in their half of the first, as they managed to load the bases, but Dolphins starter Seana Mora was able to work her way out of trouble and keep the Jaguars off the scoreboard.
 
The Dolphins continued to keep up the pressure on offense in the second inning, as an RBI single by Kailey Harrigan and an RBI fielder's choice by Allison Bratek plated two more runs and pushed the JU lead to 10-0.
 
In the fourth inning, Jacksonville tacked on two more runs, one coming on one-out single by Kennedy to score Ashley Darakjian followed by a sac fly from Carolyn O'Neal that plated Mora and made things 12-0 in favor of JU.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Mora gave way to Haley Holloway, who was able to work around a leadoff double to retire the next three IUPUI batters to end the game in a run-rule.
 
Rodebaugh went 3-3 at the plate with two runs batted in while Kennedy went 2-3 with three RBI. Eight different Dolphins scored in the game and four players scored twice, while four players drove in at least one run in the game.
 
Mora (1-0) picked up her first win of the season in the circle, going four innings and scattering five hits while striking out three.
 
In game two, the Jaguars scored the opening marker in the first inning by way of a bases-loaded walk that forced home a run with two outs to give them an early 1-0 lead.
 
Jacksonville was held in check at the plate until the fourth inning when Makenzie Buss turned a 1-1 pitch around to left center for a leadoff homerun to even the game at one. Victoria Rodebaugh followed with a single and advanced to third on a throwing error on a bunt by Samantha Poehlman to put runners at the corners with one away. Poehlman broke for second but the throw from the catcher was off-line and allowed Rodebaugh to come across and give JU a lead they would never relinquish. Moments later, Hannah Roberts belted her second homerun of the season out to left to make it 4-1 in favor of the Dolphins.
 
IUPUI was able to answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on an infield single to draw back within a pair at 4-2.
 
JU tacked on an insurance run in the fifth in the person of Buss, who led the inning off with a hit by pitch and worked her way into scoring position with a stolen base. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Kassidy Cross singled to right field to plate Buss and make it 5-2.
 
A trio of Dolphin runs came across in the seventh, the first when Buss scored on a wild pitch after reaching base to lead off the inning and the second when Ashley Darakjian worked a bases-loaded walk to force home Poehlman. A fielding error on a ball of the bat of Hannah Kern allowed Abby Quinn to score and make it 8-2 Dolphins.
 
Alyssa Bilodeau, who came on in relief in the fifth inning, closed the door in the seventh to earn the three-inning save and seal win.
 
Buss notched a 2-3 day in game two and scored three times while driving in one. Cross and Poehlman each turned in a two-hit performance while Roberts was responsible for two of JU's five runs batted in during the contest.
 
Skylar Whitty (2-1) got the start in the circle and went four innings, allowing four hits and striking out three Jaguars while allowing just one earned run. Bilodeau struck out five in her three innings of relief to record her first save of the season.
 
The Dolphins will wrap up play at the Tiger Invite tomorrow as the face off against Murray State in a doubleheader starting at 1 PM ET.