JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball finished the weekend series against the Austin Peay Governors with a 4-2 win.
The Dolphins (25-15, 10-8) took an early lead and never trailed, picking up a win to salvage the series.
After Austin Peay went down in the top of the first, the Dolphins grabbed the bats for the first time as
Chase Malloy wasted no time, leading off the home half of the first with a home run over the left field wall to give Jacksonville a 1-0 lead. The Dolphins went on to strand a pair of runners but the damage was done by Malloy.
A one-out single back up the middle put a Governor on base for the second consecutive inning. Following a strikeout for the second out, a double by Austin Peay put two runners in scoring position, but
Richard Long worked through the traffic, getting the next batter on strikes to strike out the side.
After Jacksonville went down in order in the bottom of the second, Austin Peay was back up to bat to start the third. A leadoff base hit just under the glove of the shortstop, Malloy, had the Governors threatening again. A stolen base put the runner in scoring position and was then driven in on a deep double to center scoring the run and tying the game, 1-1.
The top of the Dolphins order was due up in the bottom of the third. Malloy reached on an infield hit, putting the go-ahead-run on-base for Jacksonville. A ground out by
Justin Nadeau moved Malloy up into scoring position.
Kris Armstrong was then intentionally walked to bring up
Hogan McIntosh with two-on and one-out. He hit a fly out to center field for the second out, but Malloy moved up to third to put runners at the corners with two away. A softly hit ground ball to the second baseman went through his legs for an error that allowed Malloy to score, giving Jacksonville the lead 2-1. On the error, Armstrong moved to third putting Jacksonville back in the same situation for
Blake DeLamielleure. He produced a base hit back up the middle to give the Dolphins a 3-1 lead.
Richard Long continued to pitch effectively as he sat down the Governors down in the fifth to preserve the 3-1 lead. However, Austin Peay was just as effective on the mound in the bottom half as we moved to the sixth inning.
A leadoff single into right field had Austin Peay back in business. Long punched out another batter for the first out. On a ground ball to third, a throwing error by Armstrong allowed the runner to go all the way to third to put runners at the corners. A sacrifice fly out to centerfield scored the run to cut the Dolphins lead to 3-2. A ground out to first ended the inning but Austin Peay continued to climb closer.
Richard Long came back out to pitch the seventh inning, officially recording a career-long outing following the first out of the inning on a line out to Malloy. The Governors got a two-out base hit that forced Head Coach
Chris Hayes to go to bullpen.
Tommy Allman inherited a two-out, runner on first situation with the two-hole hitter due up. Allman got a ground out (6-4) to end the inning.
Back-to-back one out walks to Nadeau and Armstrong put two on for Jacksonville in the bottom of the seventh. McIntosh placed a base hit into left field to load the bases. A sacrifice fly to right field by
Tommy Joseph scored a run to extend the Jacksonville lead to 4-2.
Chris Lotito came in and slammed the door on the Governors in the ninth with a one-two-three inning, freaturing two strikeouts.
ON DECK
The Dolphins will travel to Kennesaw State for a three-game series starting on Friday against the Owls. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
THREE STRIKES
1.
Chase Malloy led the Dolphins in hits with two during the game
2.
Richard Long went a career long, six 2/3 innings.
3.
Chris Lotito moves into a tie for second in school history in saves in a single season with 12. He's tied with Mike Cassala, Zach Bryant and Casey Schumacher
