NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Jacksonville softball team defeated the Lipscomb Bisons 9-5 to clinch the weekend series on Sunday.
The Dolphins (23-12, 13-8 ASUN) scored nine runs in a three-inning stretch to push themselves to victory over Lipscomb.
Madison Reynolds and
Allison Bratek both had three-hit, two-RBI days to pace the Dolphin offense.
Alison Carter added an RBI, and
Kailey Harrigan,
Averi Harcus, and
Kari Holzrichter all drove in runners as well.
"The offense came up big today," said coach
Erica Ayers. "The kids made great adjustments today against a pitcher that gave us a lot of trouble yesterday. The goal was to be playing our best softball this time of year and to make a run in the tourney, I think we are doing that."
The Bisons struck first in the bottom half of the second inning. Lipscomb used a leadoff double and a pair of infield groundouts to score the game's opening runs. JU responded immediately in the top half of the third. After a walk from
Averi Harcus,
Allison Bratek hit an infield single.
Alison Carter then ripped a two-RBI double to right center, which scored both Dolphin baserunners and gave JU the 2-1 lead.
After Lipscomb responded with another run in the bottom of the third, JU scored another crooked number in the fourth, this time, scoring four.
Madison Bratek started things off with an infield single, and
Madison Reynolds did the same to give JU a pair of baserunners. A groundout moved the runners up 60 feet, and a sac fly from Harcus scored
Madison Bratek.
Kari Holzrichter then hit a single to centerfield to score Reynolds, and
Allison Bratek capped off the four-run inning with a two-run blast over the left field fence to give JU a 6-2 lead.
Again, the Bisons scored once in their home half of the inning, and again, JU put up a crooked number immediately after in the fifth inning. Reynolds doubled in
Kassidy Pontbriant and
Jazz Jones, who had reached on an error and walk, respectively, earlier in the inning. Harrigan then eventually hit a sacrifice fly to score Reynolds from third to give JU its ninth run of the afternoon, putting the Dolphins up 9-3 at the time. After the Bisons put up a two-spot in the fifth, Jacksonville did the same to give itself insurance in the top of the seventh, courtesy of a Holzrichter single to right center that scored both Harcus and Harrigan, putting the Dolphins up 11-5 for good.
Jacksonville used three pitchers in the circle in the series-clinching win.
Skylar Waggoner started the game and finished with two runs given up in two innings of work.
Jordan White (3-0) pitched the next two innings and secured her third win of the season.
Shelby Harpe pitched the final three frames and picked up her second save of the season.
UP NEXT
Jacksonville returns to action on Tuesday, April 30 in Daytona Beach to take on Bethune-Cookman in a double header. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2 pm, livestats can be followed on BCUAthletics.com.
