JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball got back in the win column on Friday, taking down Butler 4-1 in game one of a three game series. 
 
The Dolphins (7-3) got stellar pitching to set the tone for the weekend.
 
Mason Adams continued his phenomenal 2022 campaign going eight innings and striking out 13 Butler batters, tying the school record for strikeouts in a game. However, Butler's pitcher was just as tough going 6.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. In a pitching duel, it took the Dolphin offense time to break through, but it eventually did in the seventh inning.
 
Tommy Joseph and Jesus Pacheco lead off the inning with back-to-back singles. After a fly-out moved the runners into scoring position, Jackson Grabsky did his job, hitting behind the runners into a 4-3 ground out to break the tie and give Jacksonville a 1-0 lead. After Ethan Campbell was hit by a pitch, Chase Malloy reached on an error, but because there were two outs, both Pacheco and Campbell were running and both were able to score to make it 3-0.
 
In the top of the eighth inning, Butler was able to get their first two batters on via a base-on-balls and a double to put runners at second and third with nobody out. An RBI flyout to center field got the Bulldogs on the board, but Adams was able to close out his strong performance, stranding the second runner getting back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Christian Coipel decided that a two-run lead was not good enough, so he blasted his second home run of the season to push the Dolphin lead back to three, 4-1.
 
Tyler Vogel was once again brought in to save the game in the ninth inning, his fifth of the season. Butler did manage to get a base runner via a two-out base hit, but Vogel locked in on the batter, striking him out to end the game.
 
ON DECK
 
The Dolphins play home again tomorrow in game two against Butler at John Sessions Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
 
COACH'S COMMENTS

 

THREE STRIKES
 
·      Mason Adams' 13 strikeouts matched the JU single-season high, set four times prior, most recently by Trent Palmer on March 6, 2020
·      Tommy Joseph registered his first multi-hit game of the season
·      Jacksonville won its first meeting against Butler since 2002 and is 4-0 all-time against the Bulldogs