JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball fell to Southeastern Louisiana 15-2 on Saturday to even the weekend series.
 
The Dolphins (7-5) led twice early, but the Lions took the lead for good in the third and kept the pressure on from there.
 
After Christian Graham threw a scoreless top of the first, the Dolphins grabbed the bats for the first time. Chase Malloy led off for Jacksonville with an infield hit towards shortstop. Cam Ridley reached via a walk to put runners at first and second with nobody out for Kris Armstrong. A fly out to deep right field moved Malloy to third to put runners at the corners with one away for Hogan McIntosh. A triple to right field by McIntosh scored Malloy to make it 1-0, but Ridley was thrown out at home for the second out of the inning and the Dolphins managed just one run to start.
 
The Lions were quick to respond in the top of the second with a one-out solo home-run over the left field wall to tie it. Graham settled back down, getting the next two batters to ground out to end the inning.
 
A two-out walk to Jonny Barditch gave the Dolphins a base runner with Elias Flowers stepping in for the first time. Flowers hit a double off the right field wall scoring Barditch from first making it 2-1 Jacksonville.
 
A leadoff hit basman gave the Lions a base runner to start the third inning. Following a stolen base to put the runner in scoring position, Graham battled back with a strikeout for the first out of the inning, but the Lions responded once again. An RBI single tied the game at two and the runner advanced to second on the throw home, then went to third on a wild pitch. The seesaw battle between Graham and the Lions continued as he punched out another SLU batter. With two away, the Lions drove in the go ahead run on an RBI double to make it 3-2 Lions.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Lions got two one-out base runners via a walk and hit batsman to get some momentum. Following a strikeout for out number two, a base hit back up the middle scored another run to make it 4-2 SLU. A fly out to right field ended the inning. 
 
Jacksonville got base runners in the bottom of the fifth inning, but could not score as it remained 4-2 Lions going into the sixth. A leadoff hit down to third base had SLU back in business. A throwing error on a pickoff play to first allowed the runner to advance to second base. After a hit batter put runners at first and second with nobody out, a successful sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position with one away. With the top of the Lion order due up, a pitching change was made to Tommy Allman. A two-RBI single for SLU made it 6-2 Lions, and they kept it going with an RBI triple to extend the lead and a sacrifice fly to center field extended the SLU lead to 8-2 before the inning ended.
 
SLU never gave JU a chance to get back in it, plating three more runs in the seventh and four additional ones in the eighth.
 
ON DECK
 
 Jacksonville is back at John Sessions Stadium on Sunday for the rubber match game against Southeastern Louisiana. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
THREE STRIKES
 
1.     Chase Malloy and Cam Ridley have reached safely in every game this season
2.     Jack Carver pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief
3.     Hogan McIntosh has an eight-game hitting streak