JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There was no Valentine's Day love for visiting Iona from the Jacksonville Dolphins softball team on Saturday, as JU defeated the Gaels in a pair of games to end the JU/UNF Invitational.
The 'Phins earned their first victory of the day behind a five-inning 9-1 outing, later defeating Iona 3-2 to end the day. The pair of wins moved JU to 6-4 overall on the season ahead of the team's first away tournament of the year next weekend.
Saturday morning started out strong for JU as the 'Phins popped off four runs in the first and five runs in the third to take the game.
Tatum McCool got things going with a 2-RBI single to center before a
Vic Brunette 2-RBI single to left field. In the third, leadoff hitter
Emma Mansfield tapped a single up the middle of the infield to score a pair before three Dolphins got walked with the bases loaded to end the game.
Mansfield led the squad with a 2-4 showing at the plate and a pair of RBIs. McCool was tops on the team in getting her teammates back to the dugout with three RBIs.
As a squad, JU drew a monstrous 12 total walks. Graduate
Kate Linkletter was walked twice and hit by a pitch, with four other Dolphins drawing two walks each.
Jacy Harrelson earned the win in the circle, going the distance and allowing just two hits while striking out a trio of Gaels. Harrelson has three games this year with three or more strikeouts and four games with over five innings pitched.
The second game of the doubleheader was much closer, with Iona mounting a fifth inning comeback before JU retook the lead permanently.
Through two and a half scoreless frames, Jacksonville got ahead 2-0 after a Linkletter home to center which scored a pair. Iona scored two in the fifth before a second Linkletter blast to left. Linkletter's pair of hits led the game and her three RBIs also led the day. Her two hits were a third of the team's six overall.
Jordan White was her ace self yet again in the circle, striking out four over the course of seven full innings. She allowed just three hits. White has four games with three or more Ks and four games with over five innings thrown.
Over the course of the weekend, Linkletter was the star of the show for the 'Phins. She finished 6-7 batting overall with five runs scored herself and eight RBIs. She hit two doubles and two homers while being walked four times.
The graduate transfer Linkletter leads the team in hits (13), RBIs (10), homers (three), batting average (.542) and is second in doubles (three).
From JU's strong pool of freshmen, Mansfield has been as solid as they come. The Gainesville native went 6-12 over the course of the four-game tournament, tallying four RBIs and scoring seven total times. Neither Mansfield nor Linkletter have recorded an error in the field.
The 'Phins are back in business next weekend at the UNC Charlotte Invitational, starting play off against Boston University on Friday, Feb. 20. Tournament play will feature two games against Boston and UNC Charlotte and a game against Marshall.
COACH'S COMMENTS
"Jacy Harrelson and
Jordan White both threw well and controlled the strike zone today.
Kate Linkletter capped off a big weekend with two big flys that were the overall difference in Game Two. Pretty good discipline up and down the lineup today."
