JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville softball team fell 4-1 to the Harvard Crimson in just under six innings on Friday afternoon. The game was called after the second un-predicted rainfall fell upon the Fred and Debbie Pruitt Softball Complex.
Skylar Waggoner pitched four innings and surrendered one run, while the Bratek sisters, Allison and Madison, got on base a combined three times. However, the heavy downpour halted the Dolphins' comeback attempt with two runners on base in the home half of the sixth inning.
Madison Bratek started the bottom half of the first with a five-pitch walk and ended up on third after stealing second and advancing to third on an error by the Harvard catcher. Her sister,
Allison Bratek, then hit a deep fly ball to left field, which was deep enough for Madison to score from third for the game's first run.
The Crimson responded with one run in the fourth inning and three in the fifth. A pair of singles from Fitzpatrick and Mays got things started in the fourth, and consecutive ground ball outs saw Fitzpatrick cross home to tie the game. Three straight singles from Harvard in the fifth had Bobowski cross home, and an error when the Crimson loaded the bases extended the Harvard lead to 4-1.
Jacksonville had things going in the bottom of the sixth, as
Madison Bratek singled up the middle, and
Madison Reynolds battled for a base on balls to have the Dolphins on base with just one out. Harvard brought in a new pitcher to the circle, but unfortunately for JU, Mother Nature intervened, and the second unexpected downpour of the day resulted in the game ending eight outs early.
"We knew that this could be a possibility (with the weather)," said head coach
Erica Ayers. "We weren't able to find any rhythm offensively and need to play cleaner on the infield. We just aren't playing very good softball right now."
UP NEXT
The Dolphins return to the diamond tomorrow, for a true doubleheader with the Iowa Hawkeyes. First pitch of game one is slated for 1:30 pm and the game can be followed via livestats on JUDolphins.com.
