JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Dolphins are winners of four straight after winning all their games in the JU/UNF Invitational Tournament hosted on JU's campus.
The Dolphins defeated UConn 7-1 to start the final day of play for the 'Phins followed by a 2-1 win over Cleveland State.
Jacksonville (6-4) won its tournament games by a combined score of 20-2 with two shutouts.
Dolphins Take Down Huskies
Saturday's first game for JU featured a classic Skylar Waggoner performance on the mound. Waggoner went the full seven innings and tossed five Ks. She allowed just five hits while facing 24 batters.
All Waggoner had to do was get her team to the bottom of the third as in the frame Jacksonville pilled on six runs to take a commanding lead.
Averi Harcus got things going with a bases-loaded fly out that scored Jazz Jones. Gabby Baylog then hit a single to score a pair to go up 3-0.
A wild pitch saw a runner come around to go up 4-0 with Alison Carter smacking a two-RBI single to go up 6-0.
In the following frame, Waggoner herself drew a bases loaded walk that scored Haley Fox. A fly-out by UConn in the sixth broke the shutout but at that point the damage had been done.
Jacksonville collected seven hits in the contest. Baylog led the squad with a 2-3 showing. Madison Bratek, Fox, Raygan Dixon, Carter and Kiersten Stevens all had one hit.
The team also drew five total walks with Lindsey Chadwick getting to first twice via walks.
Outside of her solid performance at the plate, Baylog led the team in swiped bags with two. Reese Wells and Bratek also took a base.
Jacksonville Pulls Out Win Over Cleveland State
The Dolphins faced some unfamiliar territory during tournament play when they found themselves down 1-0 after three innings against the Vikings.
However, it wasn't a position the Dolphins faltered in as a two-run fifth inning saw JU to victory.
In drizzling conditions, Carter started the bottom of the fifth with a double. Dixon got Carter to third via a groundout followed by a Jones popup.
Bratek was walked with two outs and immediately stole second. Then Fox came in and delivered the game's biggest hit: a double that scored both base runners and served as the game winner for Jacksonville.
Once again, JU finished with seven hits. Baylog and Fox each tallied two hits in three at bats. Carter went a perfect 2-2.
From the leadoff spot, Bratek went 1-2 but her lone hit was a triple. She and Harcus each swiped a bag.
On the bump, Jacksonville got a combined effort from freshmen Hailey Strunk and Jacy Harrelson.
Strunk earned the start and went three innings, allowing five hits and striking out a duo.
In relief, Harrelson (2-1) pitched the final four innings and gave up only three hits. She struck out a trio.
COACH'S COMMENTS
On the pair of wins, 4-0 run in tournament play: "It was about matchups," head coach Erica Ayers said, "pitching the pitcher with the stuff that matches up well against the opposition. We are fortunate to have a number of arms that are different to allow us to do that. Coach (Amanda Haverman) picked the right ones and called the right pitches."
On early season growth: "I would say the young kids, freshmen and sophomores, are getting more and more comfortable every time out," Ayers said. "As a team, we were consistent in all three phases of the game-- pitching, hitting and defense-- all weekend which is big for us."
GAME NOTES
- All Jacksonville starters reached base against UConn.
- Jacksonville went 4-for-12 (.333) with runners in scoring position against UConn.
- Jacksonville pitchers limited UConn to just 1-for-7 (.143) with runners in scoring position.
- Jacksonville pitchers faced 26 UConn hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out five.
- Jacksonville pitchers limited Cleveland State to just 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
- Jacksonville pitchers faced 29 Cleveland State hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and nine fly balls while striking out five.
NEXT UP
Jacksonville will ride its quartet of wins up to Georgia for the Mercer Invitational starting Friday, Feb. 21 against Alabama State. Jacksonville will play ASU, Middle Tennessee and Mercer in Macon.
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