JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball dropped game two of its weekend series to Liberty 6-2 on Saturday night at John Sessions Stadium.
The Dolphins (14-11, 2-6) were unable to hold an early lead in a game that was delayed by a half hour due to weather.
JU got the scoring started in the first.
Chase Malloy reached on a leadoff error at short and came around to score on
Christian Coipel's RBI double down the left field line to make it 1-0 after one.
The lead grew to 2-0 JU in the third.
Elias Flowers singled to right to start the inning, and Malloy was hit by a pitch.
Jonah Diaz sacrificed them over and a wild pitch scored Flowers.
The Flames came back to tie it in the fourth. A leadoff walk and a one-out single followed by a two-out hit-batsman loaded the bases for a two-RBI single to right, before
Michael Darrell-Hicks picked off the runner at first to end the inning and keep it tied.
Liberty then took a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Another leadoff walk and a wild pitch setup a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third and a sacrifice fly brought him in.
Bryce Fisher stabilized things on the mound, sitting down Liberty in order in the sixth and working around a couple baserunners again in the seventh. In the eighth, the Flames got a leadoff double, the runner advanced on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.
The lead grew to 6-2 Liberty in the ninth on an RBI single and an RBI double.
ON DECK
The rubber match between the Dolphins and the Flames is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
COACH'S COMMENTS
THREE STRIKES
- Elias Flowers recorded his second multi-hit game of the season in his first start since March 18
- Chase Malloy was hit by a pitch for the 13th time this season
- Seven of the nine players in Jacksonville's batting order were freshmen or sophomores
