JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a pair of games on the second day of the Jacksonville Spring Break Challenge, Jacksonville softball earned another walk off win, 5-4, over Brown but fell in the day's earlier contest to Southern Miss, 7-5.
The 'Phins are 14-11 now 25 games through the season with one more Challenge game ahead, a rematch with the Brown Bears at 12:30 Sunday, March 8.
Brake Leads 'Phins In Tilt Against Southern Miss
It was the
Sarah Beth Brake show once again Saturday afternoon, with the graduate leading the Dolphins at the plate against the Golden Eagles.
Brake was tops on the team, going 3-4 at the plate. She hit her sixth bomb of the year in the second inning to tie the contest at four apiece. Over the course of the game, four of the team's five runs came via the big bat of Brake.
The multi-RBI game was Brake's third in a row and sixth of the year.
Kate Linkletter,
Alison Carter and
Emma Mansfield each collected a duo of hits in the game, part of a nine total hit day for the Dolphins.
Continuing her trend, Linkletter got plunked at the plate once more. She now has 12 HBPs, which is tops across the ASUN and is tied for the lead across the NCAA.
In the circle,
Jacy Harrelson went five innings, striking out a pair.
Reese Wells came on for two innings, striking out one.
McCool Walks Off A Winner Over Brown
Coming in as a pinch hitter, with the bases loaded and two outs on the board in the bottom of the seventh,
Tatum McCool got a chance to win a ball game at the plate. And she never swung her bat.
That's because she didn't need to, as McCool drew four straight balls which sent her trotting to first and Linkletter skipping home to win the night.
The walk-off was JU's second in as many days and third overall this season. It was the first walk-off that hadn't seen freshman
Elizabeth Harley snagging home.
To start the win off, freshman
Madisyn Weathers doubled to left center to score a pair. In the second, fellow frosh
Jaida Thomas hit an RBI single to give the home team a 3-0 lead.
That lead lasted until the sixth, when Brown took the advantage 4-3.
Linkletter hit a single to get things going in the seventh, followed by a Carter walk to get runners on first and second. Brake knocked home a single to load the bags but a strikeout and a fielder's choice left JU with just one out to potentially win the game.
Then, McCool was walked.
Thomas, Brake and freshman
Vic Brunette all had two hits during the eight-hit evening contest. Weathers led the squad with her duo of RBIs.
Arguably the best day overall at the plate was had by Brunette who had two triples as her two hits. Prior to the game, JU had just three triples – all courtesy of Thomas – but now have five, all coming from freshman hitters. It was JU's first game of the year with a player notching two triples.
On the basepath, Thomas decided she didn't like hanging out at first for too long and swiped second an astonishing three times, a new career high and best bag stealing day all season by the Dolphins. Thomas has a team-high eight steals this season and is top-10 across the ASUN.
Earning her first start of the year,
Margaret Jenkins went five innings, allowing six hits and two Ks.
Karson Johnson earned her first win of the year via a two-inning showing, not allowing a single hit while striking out one.
