JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball walked off Eastern Kentucky to win 3-2 in 11 innings on Thursday night at John Sessions Stadium.
 
The Dolphins (21-10, 6-4) remained perfect in series openers this season.
 
Blake DeLamielleure walked on four pitches to put the winning run aboard to lead off the 11th. On a sacrifice bunt, the pitcher committed an error putting two on with nobody out for Cam Ridley. A base hit that fell into right field, loaded the bases with no one out. After a strikeout, Chase Malloy dug in and lifted a fly ball to shallow center field, which was just deep enough to score DeLamielleure from third to end it.
 
The Dolphins never led prior to the winning run. EKU got on the board first in the second. A leadoff walk gave the Colonels their first base runner of the evening. A base hit into left field put runners at first and second with no outs. Evan Chrest got the next batter to pop out to second baseman, Justin Nadeau, for the first out of the inning. On a catcher's interference call, the Colonels loaded the bases with only one away. On a 2-2 pitch, a deep fly ball scored the runner from third base on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 Eastern Kentucky. Chrest got the next batter to strikeout to end the inning. 
 
The Dolphins continued to struggle at the plate in the early going, failing to score in the first four innings as EKU clung to a 1-0 lead. 
 
After a base hit to lead off the fifth inning, EKU was threatening again. A sacrifice bunt (1-3) moved the runner into scoring position for the top of the order. Chrest got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but Eastern Kentucky wasn't done yet. A base hit into left field scored a second run as they took advantage of the runner in scoring position to make it 2-0. Chrest punched out another batter to end top half of the inning.
 
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, back-to-back walks to Cam Ridley and Elias Flowers brought up the top of the Dolphins orde. Malloy delivered with a base hit and, after some confusion with runners on the basepaths, Ridley scored when EKU threw the ball to second base, which cut the lead to 2-1. On a ground ball to the second baseman that could've ended the inning, a throwing error on an attempted double-play ball scored Flowers to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Bryce Fisher came in the seventh inning to relieve Chrest, and worked out of two jams. He stranded runners on second and third to end both the seventh and eighth innings.
 
Blake Barquin threw three innings to end it, not allowing a baserunner in the first two innings he worked and kept EKU from ever really threatening to take the lead.

COACH'S COMMENTS

 

ON DECK
 
Jacksonville is back in action on Friday afternoon as game two of the three game series is set to start at 2:00 p.m. at John Sessions Stadium.
 
THREE STRIKES
 
1.     Kris Armstrong has an active 11-game hit streak, longest by a Dolphin this season
2.     JU earned its first extra-inning win of the year in its second game to go to extras
3.     It was JU's second walkoff win of the season