DeLAND, Fla.- Jacksonville Baseball played two full games of ASUN Championship Pool B play on Thursday, falling short to Central Arkansas 10-7 in the 2:30 p.m. matchup. That loss forced the Dolphins to play in an elimination game with Lipscomb in the second battle of the day, where JU emerged victorious in the evening with a five-run eighth inning to propel the Dolphins to a dramatic late-inning win.

In their first game of the day, Jacksonville was defeated by Central Arkansas 10-7. With the game tied up heading into the ninth, the Bears put up three runs in the final frame to steal the game from Jacksonville. 

After a scoreless first two frames where Evan Chrest started hot and racked up four strikeouts already, the Dolphins offense came up to bat in the third looking to get on the board. The Dolphins loaded up the bases for Josh Steidl with three walks by Will Gale, Tyrell Brewer, and Chandler Howard. The Junior drove a grounder to second, but the Bears fielder made a throwing error that sailed above the UCA first baseman's head, which led to Brewer and Gale coming into score, putting Jacksonville up two through the third.

The Bears responded in the next half-inning with a two-RBI base hit to tie things up at two after four innings.

The Dolphins punched back in the fifth, when Abdriel Delgado broke the lead with an RBI double that scored Brewer to put JU back in front, 3-2. Jacksonville wasn't done in the inning though as Cade Hentz drove in Howard to put the 'Phins back up two. Nick DeLisi capped off the inning with an RBI single that scored Delgado to make it 5-2 Jacksonville through five. 

UCA once again responded in the following half-inning, scoring two runs each from fielders' choices, to cut their deficit to one, now 5-4 JU.

Jacksonville started the sixth with a pair of runners on base, as Brewer was hit-by-pitch and Howard drew another walk to get two on for JU. Steidl came up to the plate next and launched his second hit of the day, this one a single to right that drove in Brewer to push the Dolphin's lead back to two. Howard took advantage of a Bears wild pitch and came into score from third to make it 7-4 Jacksonville through six frames.

Central Arkansas followed up with two runs in the seventh to make it a 7-6 ballgame as the DeLand crowd got up to stretch. Gale drove a single in the seventh and maneuvered his way to third with a stolen base and wild pitch, but JU couldn't get him into score to extend the lead. 

In the top of the eighth, the Bears tied it up at seven after a UCA runner came into score off a wild pitch.

Delgado kept the 'Phins alive in the home half of the eighth with a two-out single but couldn't manufacture any more offense as the game headed to the ninth. 

The Bears continued their rally, this time taking the lead with a sacrifice fly to make it 8-7. A RBI single and a bunt single that drove in a run gave UCA two more insurance tallies to go up 10-7. The 'Phins couldn't plate a run in the ninth and suffered defeat. Issac Williams was given the loss, moving the Redshirt Freshman's record to 3-3 on the season.

7:00 PM Game Against Lipscomb

With the loss against Central Arkansas, the Dolphins faced a quick turnaround in their next game, this one an elimination game against Lipscomb. The UCA game lasted 3 hours and 26 minutes, giving JU about an hour of rest between games.

A slow start to the game saw Jacksonville trailing 3-0 as the game headed into the seventh-inning stretch. The 'Phins offense came alive late though, scoring five runs in the eighth frame to set up Aidan Kelley to come out of the bullpen and secure the comeback win for Jacksonville. Kelley earned his first career save with tonight's outing.

Starter Blake Barquin kept the Dolphins within reasonable distance throughout his start. The Lakeland native went 6.2 innings deep, giving up three runs (two earned), off six hits, as well as adding three strikeouts.

Lipscomb scored first in the third frame after the Bisons added two to take a 2-0 lead. They added another run in the third after a 'Phins error allowed a Lipscomb runner to score from second. 

Jack Carver relieved Barqin in the sixth inning and ended the inning stranding a pair of Bisons on the basepath after a Lipscomb batter flew out to left. Jaden Bastian jump-started the Jacksonville offense with a double down the left-field line as the 'Phins looked to fight back. Chandler Howard drove him in from second to plate JU's first run. Carver gave up a pair of runs in the eighth (only one run earned) to make it 5-1 UCA through the top of the eighth.

With six outs left in their season, the Jacksonville offense knew it was now or never to get some momentum going late. Cade Hentz forced a walk on a 3-2 count to get a runner on early for the 'Phins. Delgado came in to pinch hit for Conner Spelman and drove a base hit right back up the middle to get two on for JU. The 'Phins got their third consecutive runner on after Jackson Westmoreland singled to right to load the bases with no outs for Jacksonville. Gale came up to bat and put the ball in play, allowing Hentz to come in and score with a close play at the plate. Bastian was up next and was hit-by-pitch to cut the JU deficit to two, now 5-3. In what could have been his final collegiate at-bat, Brewer came up clutch, smacking a single that scored Westmoreland and Gale to tie things up at five. Howard came up to bat with an opportunity to give Jacksonville their first lead of the game. The Sophomore hit a long-fly ball out to left field allowing Bastian to tag up and score from third to give the 'Phins the lead. At first, Bastian was ruled to have left early and the umpires ruled a double play; but after a replay, it was confirmed that Bastian tagged up in time. 

Aidan Kelley got the call out of the bullpen to secure the come-from-behind win for Jacksonville. The Sophomore handled business, finishing the inning only giving up a walk, while also striking out a Bisons batter.

"Really proud of how our guys bounced back from a back-and-forth first game, where things didn't go our way in the end, but this team remained resilient and the boys weren't ready to call it quits on the season yet." Head Coach Chris Hayes commented postgame.

"Our team has been full of competitiveness and fight all season and they proved tonight that they deserve an opportunity to play this great game at least one more time and hopefully contend for a conference championship."

Up Next

Jacksonville will welcome a rematch with Central Arkansas in the Pool B Bracket Final tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.