JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball fell 4-3 to Kennesaw State on Saturday night at John Sessions Stadium.
 
The Dolphins (11-7, 0-2) gave up the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning after rallying to tie the game leading up to that.
 
KSU struck first for the second straight night. In the top of the second inning, the Owls got their offense going with a leadoff base hit up the middle, then a home run for an early 2-0 lead. Another base hit followed the home run and the runner advanced to second base on a balk. A ground ball on the right side sent the runner to third, followed by a sacrifice fly to center to make it 3-0 KSU.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Jackson Grabsky led off with a ground ball to third, and a throwing error allowed him to reach and advance to second base. Jake Berg stepped in and drilled a double into left field off the wall to drive in Grabsky and cut the Owl lead to 3-1. 
 
In the bottom of sixth, Jonah Diaz got the Dolphin offense going with a base hit to left field, followed by Christian Coipel blasting his sixth home run of the season over the right field wall to tie the game, 3-3. 
 
After giving up the three runs in the second, Michael Darrell-Hicks settled in, and went six innings, striking out five and scattering seven hits, posting zeroes over his last four innings of work. He gave way to Jack Carver, who pitched a scoreless seventh, and Blake Barquin took over in the eighth, stranding two men on.
 
JU put the go-ahead run on in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but could not deliver the hit to take the lead.
 
In the top of the ninth inning, the Owls got a leadoff single and moved the runner over to second on a groundout back to the pitcher. Another groundout to third base advanced the runner to third now with two men out and set up the game-winning run to score on the wild pitch.
 
ON DECK
 
The Dolphins try to avoid the sweep tomorrow in game three at John Sessions Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
COACH'S COMMENTS

 

THREE STRIKES
 
·      Christian Coipel hit his sixth home run of the year, the fourth straight game he has homered
·      Jonah Diaz extended his hit streak to 12 straight games and he and Blake DeLamielleure have now reached base safely in 15 straight
·      JU lost its first series of the season after winning its first four