JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In the first two games of four for the Jacksonville Dolphins softball team in the squad's second home tournament, the 'Phins defeated Stony Brook 5-1 but later fell to Princeton 7-5 in an eight-inning thriller.
The Dolphins moved to 4-4 on the young year after the first day of the JU/UNF Invitational Tournament. A doubleheader against Iona awaits the green and gold on Saturday before the team's first away tournament of the year at UNC Charlotte next weekend.
Early Scoring Sees Dolphins Past Seawolves
Jacksonville got back in its winning ways in its first game of the JU/UNF Invitational Friday afternoon, downing Stony Brook 5-1. It was the sixth meeting ever between the two schools, with JU now riding a four-game winning streak dating back to 2013.
In the first frame, Stony Brook took an early 1-0 lead which lasted just two Dolphin batters before the game was tied. Freshman
Emma Mansfield started things off with a single, later swiping second base before graduate
Kate Linkletter spun a double out to center field to score Mansfield.
Jacy Harrelson kept Stony Brook off the basepath in the top of the second frame from her pitching position, forcing the Seawolves into a double play to end the top of the inning.
The bottom of the second is where the 'Phins capped things off again behind strong hitting from Mansfield. The freshman leadoff hitter smacked a single up the middle of the infield to score a pair which put her team ahead 3-1.
Freshman
Jaida Thomas put the final touches on the win cake with a double down the right field line with Thomas too scoring a duo of Dolphin baserunners. The 'Phins had a chance to tack on more runners but left three stranded to end the inning.
Both teams had plenty of chances to add runs to the board. By game's end, Jacksonville had 10 total runners left on base while Stony Brook had six.
Keeping the Seawolves scoreless after the first was due in large part to Harrelson who picked up her first win of the year in two tries. She went the seven-inning distance, allowing six hits and striking out four.
The home team ended the game with eight total hits. Both Mansfield and Thomas went 2-4 at the plate with two RBIs each. Fellow frosh
Vic Brunette added a hit and a walk. Through the team's first seven games Jacksonville has gotten active in collecting doubles at the plate. The team registered 11 total doubles through its first seven contests, led by four from Thomas and three from graduate
Sarah Beth Brake.
Mansfield was also active on the basepath, stealing two bases. As a team, JU swiped five bags total.
Tigers, 'Phins Battle To Extras
In the first extra innings game of the season for the Dolphins, JU fell to visiting Princeton 7-5.
Akin to the program's first game, JU found itself down in a 1-0 hole. The game was scoreless until the third when Princeton tacked on a single run. As the 'Phins have done all season, they battled back to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
Linkletter hit a double down to left which scored a pair and gave the Dolphins a lead until the sixth when a Princeton homer tied the game at two apiece. In the seventh, Princeton backed the Dolphins down, pushing the game to a 5-2 score before potentially the game's final three outs.
With two outs on the board, and Mansfield at first and
KK Hagan at second, Linkletter stepped up to the diamond and again hit a double to score a duo of Dolphins. With the score 5-4, Thomas was walked. It was then Brake's turn to score another runner with a single to center. At 5-5, Princeton got out of the inning and forced extra frames.
In extras, a runner was automatically added to second base for the Tigers. It took one Princeton batter to score the ghost runner, followed by an RBI-double to give the Tigers a 7-5 lead. The Dolphins went down in order to end the game and send the team to Saturday.
Linkletter had a monster game against the orange and black, going 3-3 with a game-high four RBIs. Brake went 2-4 with an RBI, as both graduate players led the team in hitting. The pair combined for five of the total eight hits by JU. The freshman Mansfield went 1-2 with two walks herself.
Through eight games, Linkletter leads the team in hits with 11 in 21 at bats. She is also tops on the squad with seven RBIs. Both Linkletter and Brake are tied for second on the team in triples with three each. Linkletter leads the squad with a hefty .524 batting average, followed by
Madisyn Weathers' .400. Brake is in third with a .368 clip.
In the circle,
Jordan White earned the start and went 6 1/3 innings, facing 30 batters and tossing 128 pitches. She allowed eight hits and fanned three.
Karson Johnson came on in relief, tossing 1 2/3 innings, allowing four hits.
Jacksonville is back in play Saturday morning, squaring off against the Iona Gaels in a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. The Valentine's Day doubleheader highlights a full day for Dolphin Athletics, as the men's lacrosse team hosts La Moyne at noon and the men's basketball team hosts rival UNF at 4 p.m. The baseball team continues its opening weekend against Rhode Island with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
COACH'S COMMENTS
On the graduate transfers: "Came up short in a really good ball game tonight," head coach
Erica Ayers said of her contest against Princeton. "Seems like Kate (Linkletter) came up in big situations all night and she came through.
Sarah Beth Brake is solid behind the plate. She manages the game well and our pitchers well."
RELIVE THE MOMENTS
