RICHMOND, Ky.- Jacksonville baseball split their Thursday doubleheader with Eastern Kentucky on Thursday, taking game one with a final tally of 8-5. Eastern Kentucky tied things up in the series with a game-two win, defeating the Dolphins 5-2.
Game One
The Dolphins came out and took the first matchup of the day against the Colonels, thanks to Tyrell Brewer's four RBIs and 11 hits from the Jacksonville offense, whose eight runs proved enough to get the win.
EKU struck first in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to take the lead early. JU was quick to respond as Tyrell Brewer launched his second homer of the season, a three-run shot to give the Dolphins a 3-1 lead.
In the top of the fifth Cade Hentz and Will Gale started off the inning with a pair of singles to get a pair of runners on for JU. Jaden Bastian came up to bat next and drove in a run with help from a Colonel's error to score Hentz and make it 4-1. Chandler Howard extended the lead to four after driving in Gale with a sacrifice fly, the 'Phins now up 5-1.
Jacksonville picked up where they left off in the sixth when Bastian and Tyrell Brewer both added RBI singles to keep the bats hot. Howard drove in another RBI with a double to right center that made it 8-1 through the top of the sixth. Richard Long's day was over when Tommy Allman relieved him in the sixth inning. Long finished with a stat line of 5.0 innings pitched, with an earned run off three hits, a punchout, and a pair of walks.
The Colonels started to rally in the seventh and eighth where they added a run in the seventh and three runs in the eighth. Issac Williams came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the eighth with two outs to limit further damage by the Colonels. The Redshirt-Freshman ended the inning with an F9 flyout. After the Dolphins couldn't cash in any insurance runs in the top of the ninth, Williams retired to EKU to get his sixth of the season and a game-one victory for the 'Phins. Richard Long was credited with his seventh win of the year moving his record to 7-2 on the season. The Junior from Middleburg is tied for first in wins in the ASUN conference.
Three Strikes Game One
- Tyrell Brewer achieved a single-game high in the 2024 season with four RBIs.
- Will Gale had a productive day at the plate going 3-for-3 with two walks on the day.
- Eight different Dolphins recorded a hit with Gale (3) and Brewer (2) both having a multi-hit game.
Game Two
The Dolphins dropped the latter game of the doubleheader, 5-2 after the Colonel's offense stayed aggressive with 14 hits, proving to be too much for JU.
EKU scored in the home half of the first with an RBI double to take the lead early. The Dolphins punched back in the following half inning when Josh Steidl delivered in a two-out situation, driving a base hit to score Howard and tie the ballgame at one.
In the third, the Colonels took back to lead after an RBI single but once again the Jacksonville offense responded in the bottom of the fifth. Howard reached on a fielder's choice and Blake Edmonds came to score after a throwing error by the EKU second basemen to tie things back up.
In the following half inning, EKU was ready with a response putting up two runs in the fifth, with a solo homer and an RBI double to take the lead at 4-3. In the sixth, the Colonels extended their lead to two, where this time the Dolphins offense had trouble scoring a run and responding. Jacksonville added three hits during the eighth and ninth innings but it was not enough as the Dolphins were defeated, ending the Thursday doubleheader with a split decision. Peyton Prescott (5-6) was given the loss.
Three Strikes Game Two
- Chandler Howard hit his fifth double of the season.
- With his base hit, Josh Steidl's batting average back above .300, now at .302.
- Blake Edmonds walked three times, a career single-game high for the Sophomore.
Up Next:
The Dolphins and Colonels are planning to play the rubber match of the series around brunch time on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 11:05 PM. Please stay tuned for any schedule updates on our social media channels. Game three will be live to stream on ESPN+.
