JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- Jacksonville Baseball (22-20, 15-6 ASUN) defeated Bethune-Cookman (25-20,15-6 SWAC) in eight innings with a final score of 11-0 on Tuesday night.
The Dolphins excelled in both parts of the game. The pitching staff combined to hold the Wildcats to only one hit, while Jacksonville's bats stayed patient at the plate and did their part, finishing with nine hits and ten walks.
Dylan Faulkner started on the mound for the Dolphins; he went two innings strong, only giving up a walk and a hit while adding a strikeout. Jacksonville used today's contest as a bullpen day, with Aidan Kelley, Jack Carver, Garrett Corbett, Issac Williams, and Scout Updike all making appearances. The Phins pitching staff finished with a combined seven punchouts on the night.
Tyrell Brewer got Jacksonville on the board first with an RBI single that scored Clayton Hodges from second. Hodges faced a close play at the plate but beat the throw and was safe to make it 1-0 JU.
Jacksonville further separated themselves in the third inning with a five-spot in the frame. Freshman Jaden Bastian shot a double into the gap to score Josh Steidl and Brewer, picking up two RBIs and extending the lead to 3-0. Tyler Hinrikus made it 4-0 when he came into score on a passed ball. Another young Dolphin, Cade Hentz, added a two-RBI double later in the inning that scored fellow freshman teammates Conner Spelman and Bastian. After three innings, Jacksonville took a commanding 6-0 lead early.
Brewer came into score on a wild pitch in the fourth inning to move the JU lead to 7-0.
While the Dolphins' pitching staff handled business on the mound, the Dolphins' bats stayed hot. In the seventh inning, Hodges and Spelman both smashed doubles, each adding an RBI, to make it 9-0 Dolphins heading into the eighth frame.
After a quiet Wildcat top of the eighth, the Dolphins were looking to end things in the eighth with at least one more run to enact the run rule. Bastian stepped in the box in the eighth and fired a hot shot over the left field wall to walk it off, ending the game with a final score of 11-0 in eight innings. Dylan Faulkner earned his second win of the season.
What They Said
Three Strikes:
- Hodges had two doubles on the day, and Bastian, Spelman, and Hentz each had a double.
- Brewer stole a pair of bases tonight, while Hodges and Steidl added a stolen base each.
- With only one Wildcat hit, this marked a season-low for hits allowed in a single game by the Jacksonville pitching staff.
Up Next:
The Dolphins will travel to Fort Myers this weekend for an ASUN conference weekend series matchup against Florida Gulf Coast. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM on Friday.
