Box Score
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In Jacksonville softball's fifth game in three days during the UNC Charlotte Invitational, the Dolphins fell to the host school 9-8 to end tournament play.
Charlotte swept the 'Phins in back-to-back games, moving JU to 7-8 on the season. Jacksonville went 1-4 overall during its time in North Carolina.
After a run-rule finish Saturday evening, JU and the 49ers were back at it again Sunday afternoon. Charlotte jumped ahead early to the tune of a 7-0 lead after just one inning, but Jacksonville never stopped battling back.
The Dolphins got on the board in the top of the second behind an
Alison Carter double, followed by a fielding error and a
Jacy Harrelson single that scored Carter to get the green and white on the board.
Atop the fifth inning,
Sarah Beth Brake got on first to load the bases for Carter who capitalized on the moment, knocking in a single that scored one.
Tatum McCool sacrificed a fly ball to center that then scored
Madisyn Weathers to push the game to a 7-3 score.
Jacksonville entered the potential final frame, the top of the seventh, down four runs.
Weathers was walked to start the frame.
Lindsey Chadwick then cranked a double down to left to place a pair of runners in scoring position. It was then Carter once more who hit a single to score a runner, pushing her to a tied for team-high two RBIs.
McCool drew a walk to load the bases. Harrelson flew one out to center that did score a run, giving Charlotte only a slight edge, up 7-5. Freshman
Vic Brunette drew a walk to load the bases once more, setting up fellow freshman
Emma Mansfield to hit a single to right that scored two.
After being down seven runs for basically the entire game, JU had suddenly tied Sunday's game at seven. And they were not done there.
The hitting party in the top of the seventh for the freshman class was capped off by
Maci Burkhart, who found the ball and lifted it to right field to give Jacksonville its first lead in the game and first lead overall in two games against the 49ers, up 8-7.
Charlotte opened the bottom of the seventh with a triple right before a Niners single just under the outstretched pitching glove of Harrelson ended the day in the bottom of the seventh.
Mansfield, Weathers, Carter and Harrelson all ended their afternoons with a pair of RBIs. Brunette and Carter both finished with three hits, tied for a team high. By game's end, JU outhit Charlotte ,14-9. Sunday's 14 hits were a season best.
Carter had her best individual performance of the season, collecting three hits for the first time all season. Her two RBIs were her most in four games.
Mansfield's pair of RBIs moved her tied with McCool for second best on the team (eight). Mansfield also moved into a solo share of best on the team in hits with 15.
Jacksonville's eight runs represented its most runs scored in five games. It also outpaced the scoring output from the team over its past three games combined. Sunday's game was also Jacksonville first one-loss of the season.
Jordan White started Sunday's game in the circle, lasting only seven batters before Harrelson took over. The sophomore from Georgia tossed 103 pitches over the course of six innings. She struck out seven, marking a new career high for the righty. It was Harrelson's second game in three outings where she struck out six or more.
The fighting 'Phins return home this coming weekend to start the JU/UNF Invitational. Jacksonville and DePaul square off in a doubleheader Friday evening, before a doubleheader against Tennessee Tech on Saturday and finally a solo standoff against DePaul Sunday afternoon.
