JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Another three-home run performance by Kris Armstrong led Jacksonville University baseball to a 12-2 run-rule win over Central Arkansas on Sunday afternoon at John Sessions Stadium.
 
The Dolphins (18-8, 4-2) swept the Bears and have won five in a row after Armstrong drove in seven in his second-straight day in which he crushed three homers.
 
In the top of the first, a two-out base hit back up the middle gave the Bears their first base runner of the game, but the runner was thrown out by Hogan McIntosh trying to steal second to end the inning.
 
Chase Malloy didn't waste any time in the bottom of the first, ripping the first pitch into left center field for a base hit. Justin Nadeau went back up the middle for another single to put two on with nobody out for Kris Armstrong. Armstrong then blasted the very first pitch out to give Jacksonville a 3-0 lead. The Bears settled down after that getting the next three batters to end the inning.
 
Richard Long worked around some traffic in the top of the second, but the Bears failed to capitalize and left two runners on base. With one out in the bottom of the second, back-to-back singles by Cam Ridley and Elias Flowers flipped the line up over for Malloy's second at bat. He drew a walk to load the bases for Nadeau. Justin walked so a run scored for Jacksonville to make it 4-0. That forced Central Arkansas to make a pitching change before Armstrong could step in. A deep sacrifice fly into left field made it 5-0 Jacksonville.
 
Long continued to put up zeros on the scoreboard as Central Arkansas continued to struggle to get any runs through three innings. After a strikeout in the bottom of the third, Blake DeLamielleure ripped a double just over the third base bag to get a runner into scoring position with one away. Colin Wetterau worked a walk to put two on for Ridley, who took advantage and pulled a two-RBI triple down the left field line to extend the Dolphin lead to 7-0.
 
A leadoff walk gave the Bears another base runner and he advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Long settled back down getting the next three batters in orde,r stranding the runner and holding on to the shutout through four innings.
 
Nadeau walked to lead off the bottom putting another runner on for Armstrong. With a 1-2 count, the Bears elected to make a pitching change, from a lefthanded pitcher to a righty. The switch-hitter Armstrong flipped sides of the plate and greeted the new pitcher by crushing his second home run of the game over the right field wall to make it 9-0 Dolphins.
 
With two away in the top of fifth inning, Central Arkansas got on a scoreboard with a solo shot to right field to make it 9-1 Jacksonville. After a fielding error got the Bears aboard, a ground ball to Malloy ended the inning on a fielder's choice (6-4).
 
The Dolphins were held off the scoreboard for the first time in the bottom fifth so the Bears grabbed the bats in the sixth trying climb back into it. A leadoff double had Central Arkansas in business immediately. After a strikeout for the first out of the inning, a base hit into right put runners at the corners. The Bears took advantage with another single into right field that scored the run from third, making it 9-2 Dolphins. A strikeout ended the inning but the Bears cut the lead Dolphin to seven.
 
Armstrong was up again in the bottom half and the Bears continued to pitch to him. He smacked his third home run of the game, sixteenth of the season, to make it 10-2 Jacksonville. 
 
Blake Barquin took over for Long in the seventh inning and it was a quick inning, as he sat down UCA in order with a strikeout.
 
In the bottom half of the seventh, Wetterau was hit by a pitch to start the inning as Jacksonville was looking to end the game on a ten-run rule. Ridley got himself an infield hit and a single by pinch hitter, Blake Edmonds, loaded the bases for Malloy. He was also hit by a pitch to score one run and Nadeau then walked to score the winning run. 
 
ON DECK
 
Jacksonville has an extended time between games, resuming action with an ASUN Conference series in Ft. Myers next weekend vs. FGCU. First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
 
COACH'S COMMENTS

 

THREE STRIKES
 
1.     Richard Long recorded a career-high in strikeouts with eight.
2.     Kris Armstrong now leads the country in home runs
3.     The Dolphins outscored opponents 56-13 during their 5-game winning streak