JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball fell 12-9 to UCF on Saturday at John Sessions Stadium.
 
The Dolphins (5-11) say the series even at one ahead of a rubber match with the Knights tomorrow afternoon in Orlando.
 
"We expected a really good effort out of UCF, that's a really good baseball team," said Head Coach Chris Hayes. "I was really happy with the way we swung the bat today.
 
"We've got work to do."
 
In a game that was starkly different than Friday night's pitcher's duel, the offense came early and often. UCF took an early 1-0 lead in the second, when a leadoff single advanced to second on a wild pitch, took third on a single and scored on a groundball to shortstop that was initially misplayed, before ending up in an out.
 
Jacksonville immediately responded, plating three to take the lead in the bottom of the second. Christian Coipel crushed his first homerun of the season to tie it at one, then Jake Berg and Jackson Grabsky both singled before Jesus Pacheco delivered a base hit to center to push in both after the Knight's center fielder misplayed it.
 
UCF tied the game at three in the top of the third after a leadoff walk and a two-run home run. Then, in the fourth, took the lead again. Three straight singles loaded the bases, then a two-out bases loaded triple made it 6-3.
 
The Knights made it a six-run lead in the fifth, after two men reach to set up a three-run home run.
 
JU cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth. Back-to-back singles by Cory Heffron and Dakota Julylia started the inning, and Coipel drove in his second run of the game with a double to right. Duncan Hunter then blistered a ball off the wall in left to push in two more, and it was 9-6 UCF after five.
 
The Knights used the seventh and eighth to build the lead back out to three. A double, stolen base and wild pitch scored one run and a two-out RBI single plated a second in the seventh and it was 12-6 after eight, when a leadoff walk, an error and an RBI single pushed the lead to 12-6.
 
The Dolphins tried to rally in the ninth, as Stephen Moffatt hit a pinch-hit single to start the frame, followed by Hunter's second double of the game then an RBI double to right by Trace Burchard. Pacheco knocked in a third run of the inning to make it 12-9 before the Dolphins ran out of gas.
 
ON DECK
 
Jacksonville goes for the series win Sunday afternoon at John Euliano Park as the series shifts to Orlando, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
COACH'S COMMENTS

 
THREE STRIKES
 

• Christian Coipel was not retired today and finished a triple short of the cycle
• Duncan Hunter had one extra base hit on the season heading into the weekend. He has two doubles and a triple in two games vs. UCF
• Jake Berg collected his first career hit in the second inning