JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball rallied to tie the game, but allowed three in the eighth to fall 9-6 to North Florida on Friday night at Harmon Stadium.
 
The Dolphins (15-12, 3-7) erased an early five-run deficit, but left the go-ahead run in scoring position twice down the stretch.
 
UNF started the scoring in the first, with consecutive singles to lead off the inning, followed by a delayed double-steal to sneak home the game's first run.
 
The Ospreys added to the advantage in the second. A solo homerun made it 2-0, and it was followed by three consecutive infield singles to load the bases. A two-run double and an RBI groundout pushed the lead to 5-0 UNF after two.
 
JU chipped away with a two-out rally in the third. With Josh Steidl on first, Elias Flowers roped a double to the right-centerfield gap to drive in a run. Chase Malloy slapped a grounder to short, and the UNF shortstop elected to try and throw out Flowers at third, instead throwing it off of the sliding Dolphin and allowing him to scamper home to cut the UNF lead to 5-2.
 
A three-base error in the fourth set up an RBI groundout for the Ospreys to push the lead back to four, 6-2.
 
Again, JU struck with two outs in the fifth, with Flowers hitting a solo home run to cut it to 6-3. The real damage was done in the sixth. Blake DeLamielleure hit a leadoff double, and with one-out, Jesus Pacheco legged out an infield single to put runners at the corners. Jonah Diaz hit an opposite field double to plate one and Steidl followed with an RBI double off the wall in right. Jackson Grabsky plated Diaz with a groundout to second to tie the game at six, but JU left the go-ahead run at third.
 
Again in the seventh, the Dolphins put the leadoff man on, with Malloy singling to left. He stole second and went to third on a deep flyout to center. After a walk put runners at the corners, JU again was unable to drive in the run.
 
After Mason Adams battled his way through 5.2 innings and watched his offense pick him up, he gave way to Jack Carver, who struck out three over 1.1 of relief, stranding runners in scoring position twice.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, UNF got a leadoff single. A pinch-runner came in and stole second, taking third on a throwing error, and scored on a sacrifice fly. A two-out walk was followed by a two-run homer and the Ospreys sat down the Dolphins in order in the ninth to close it out.
 
ON DECK
 
Jacksonville tries to even the series on Saturday afternoon at Harmon Stadium, with first pitch set for 2:05 p.m.
 
THREE STRIKES
 

• Elias Flowers hit his first career home run in the fifth inning
• Flowers, Chase Malloy and Josh Steidl all recorded multi-hit games
• Jacksonville pitching struck out 10 UNF batters on the night