FORT MYERS, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball battled, but came up short against FGCU, falling 7-3 on Saturday at Swanson Stadium.
 
The Dolphins (12-32) fell behind early, and missed a few opportunities after rallying in the fourth to tie the game before the Eagles separated late.
 
JU got two men on via walks in the first, but were not able to take advantage, while FGCU turned a triple into the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning.
 
They made it 2-0 in the second on a solo home run, and it was 4-0 after three when a two-out double was followed by a two-run homer to left, starting a trend of two-out hits for FGCU.
 
The Dolphins had an answer in the fourth, when Mike Cassala led off with an opposite field single and Cory Heffron followed up with a single through short. Elias Flowers beat out a bunt single to load the bases, and with one out, Jake Berg ripped a single to right field to plate two. Jesus Pacheco drove in another on an RBI groundout and stole second before the inning ended with JU within one, 4-3.
 
That led to a stretch of near misses. In the sixth, Flowers reached again, this time on an error, followed by walks to Jackson Grabsky and Berg to load the bases before the Eagles went to the pen. A pop-out and strikeout ended the threat with the tying run at third.
 
In the seventh, Dakota Julylia snuck a bunt single down to third, advanced to second on a wild pitch and took third on a groundout, but again, JU left the tying run 90-feet away.
 
FGCU then extended the lead in the seventh, after a walk came home to score on a double in the left centerfield gap to make it 5-3. A two-out, two-run home run in the eighth pushed the lead to its final margin of four.
 
ON DECK
 
Jacksonville plays FGCU on Sunday, in a winner-take-all game to advance to the ASUN Baseball Championship Semifinals. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Swanson Stadium.
 
THREE STRIKES
 

• With a double in the ninth, Ruben Someillan extended his on-base streak to all 44 games JU has played this season
• Cory Heffron extended his hit streak to 11 games with a single in the fourth
• Jacksonville has three bunt singles in the series through the first two games