JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Baseball continued its strong opening stretch Saturday afternoon, taking game one of the doubleheader over Long Island, 12-7, to improve to 6-1 on the season.

The Sharks jumped out early, capitalizing on a first-inning error to score two unearned runs and grab the early advantage. JU responded immediately. Derek Bermudez drove in a run on a sacrifice fly before Griffin Pomper lined an RBI single to even things at two.

After LIU briefly regained the lead in the second, Jacksonville continued to chip away. Jonah Shields tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the second, and Roger Vergara gave the Dolphins their first lead in the fourth with another sac fly to make it 4-3.

The game swung in the sixth inning.

Trailing 5-4, JU strung together quality at-bats to reclaim control. Bermudez doubled home a run to tie it, and Manny Souffrain followed with a two-run double to push the Dolphins in front. Sammy Mummau added a sacrifice fly as part of a four-run inning that flipped the momentum for good.

Cade Walter delivered the knockout punch in the seventh, launching a two-run homer to right center to extend the lead to 10-6. The freshman has 3 home runs on the year.

On the mound, Gavin Dicks delivered a strong outing, striking out a career-high seven batters. The total surpassed his previous best of six strikeouts, which he reached twice at Polk State. The Dolphins' staff continued its trend of missing bats and limiting damage in key moments.

The Dolphins added another run later in the frame and tacked on one more in the eighth to secure the 12-7 victory.

Bermudez continued his red-hot start at the plate, driving in another run and staying at the center of JU's offensive production.

Souffrain's two-run double proved to be one of the game's biggest swings, while Walter's home run provided valuable breathing room.

Jacksonville's offense once again showcased its depth, scoring 12 runs on timely hitting throughout the lineup.

The Dolphins return to the field Sunday at noon, to complete game three of the series. Due to lighting issues at the stadium, the game has been delayed until then.