NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jacksonville University baseball dropped game two of its ASUN Conference-opening series at Lipscomb 10-5 on Saturday.
The Dolphins (13-7, 1-1) tried to mount a rally late, with four runs scored in the sixth and seventh innings, but came up short.
JU struck first for the second-straight day, scoring a run in the second.
Chandler Howard tripled off the wall in centerfield with two outs, and
Blake DeLamielleure followed with a double to left to plate him.
That 1-0 advantage did not last long, as Lipscomb immediately answered in the bottom half. The leadoff man drew a walk and the next batter singled to put runners at the corners. A sacrifice fly to right plated one to tie the game. With two outs, a two-run homer to left gave the Bisons at 3-1 lead.
Lipscomb added to its advantage in the third. After a leadoff single, two strikeouts set JU up to get out of the inning unscathed. A walk extended the frame, and the next batter tripled to clear the bases. An RBI single after that made it a three-run inning, and the Bisons lead 6-1 after three.
The fifth inning was the home team's biggest of the afternoon at the plate. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch, and another batter was plunked with one-out to put two on. A groundout advanced the runners and a double to left cleared the bases. After a walk put two on again, a two-RBI single pushed the lead to 10-1.
JU started to answer back in the sixth.
Chase Malloy smacked a leadoff double. Consecutive groundouts moved him to third and then scored him to cut into the lead, 10-2.
After
Divine Valle threw up a second-straight scoreless inning in the bottom half,
Justin Nadeau led off the seventh with a solo homer to center. Howard drew a walk and DeLamielleure doubled for the second time to put runners at second and third.
Colin Wetterau fouled off five pitches before poking a single into the outfield to plate both runners and trim the deficit to five, 10-5.
Tommy Joseph pinch-hit and laced a double into left center to set up runners at second and third again with no outs. A flyout to right turned into a double play, when a miscommunication on the basepaths led to the runner being thrown out at home trying to tag up and JU did not manage any more runs.
Valle and
Parker Murphy combined to hold the Bisons scoreless over the final three innings.
ON DECK
The rubber match in the conference opening series is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday at Ken Dugan Field.
THREE STRIKES
