,ORLANDO, Fla. – Jacksonville University Baseball secured its second ranked road upset of the season, defeating the UCF Knights, 5-4, in an 11-inning thriller on Tuesday night.
The Dolphins refused to go away, taking the lead in both the 10th and 11th innings and ultimately outlasting the Big 12's third-ranked team.
Sam Grunberg delivered his most impactful performance in a Dolphin uniform. The senior came through in the biggest moments, tying the game with a solo home run in the eighth before giving Jacksonville the lead with a two-out RBI single in the 10th.
Roger Vergara followed suit with a go-ahead knock in the 11th as the Dolphins secured their second consecutive win over the Knights.
Derek Bermudez added an early solo home run, while the Dolphins' bullpen combined to keep Jacksonville within striking distance and shut the door late.
How It Happened
Jacksonville struck early in the opening inning after
Sammy Mummau was hit by the second pitch of the game. The momentum was quickly erased with a 6-4-3 double play, but
Derek Bermudez made it count with two outs, launching a no-doubt solo homer over the "John Euliano Park" sign in left to give the Dolphins a 1-0 lead.
UCF threatened immediately in the bottom half with runners on the corners, but
Gavin Dicks worked out of the jam to preserve the lead.
The Knights answered in the second, using a double to plate one before adding an RBI single later in the inning to take a 2-1 advantage. They added another run in the third on a passed ball, extending the lead to 3-1.
Jacksonville began to chip away in the fourth.
Sam Grunberg opened the inning with a double down the left field line and later scored on a two-out RBI single from
Conner Spelman, cutting the deficit to one.
The Dolphins continued to apply pressure in the middle innings. In the sixth,
Blake Edmonds worked an eight-pitch single, and
Cade Walter reached on a sacrifice bunt following a throwing error to put two on with no outs, but Jacksonville was unable to bring the tying run across.
Another opportunity came in the seventh, but a popped-up bunt and a runner thrown out attempting to advance halted the threat.
With Jacksonville knocking on the door in the previous two innings, the Dolphins finally broke through in the eighth. With two outs,
Sam Grunberg delivered the equalizer, sending a 395-foot solo homer to left field to even the game at 3-3.
Jacksonville looked poised to take the lead in the ninth. Edmonds kept the inning alive with a two-out single and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Cade Walter was then hit by a pitch, but the Dolphins were unable to capitalize after hitting into a 4-6-3 double play.
The Dolphins did not go away in extras.
Once again with two outs and needing a run, Grunberg stepped in. After falling behind 0-2, the veteran delivered a clutch RBI single to give Jacksonville a 4-3 lead.
Down to their final strike, UCF answered with an RBI single to right field, tying the game and sending it to the 11th.
Jacksonville responded once more in the 11th. After
Cade Walter reached and moved into scoring position,
Roger Vergara delivered a two-out RBI single up the middle to put the Dolphins back in front.
UCF threatened in the bottom half, placing the tying run in scoring position with two outs, but Jacksonville held firm to secure the 5-4 victory.
Notables
- Sam Grunberg finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. He hit the game-tying home run in the eighth and the go-ahead single in the 10th.
- Roger Vergara went 2-for-5 and delivered the game-winning RBI in the 11th, similar to his clutch hit in the win over No. 21 Florida earlier this season.
- Blake Edmonds finished 2-for-4 for his third multi-hit game of the season.
- The victory marks Jacksonville's second win over a 21st ranked opponent this season.
- Ayden Phillips earned the win after recording the final five outs, joining fellow freshman Kyle Hopper as the only pitchers on the team with a 3-0 record.
- The Dolphins used nine different pitchers, the most in a game this season.
- Jacksonville now owns the second-lowest ERA in the ASUN (4.86).
- The 'Phins have won two straight games over UCF, dating back to last year's 3-2 win on March 25.
- The 11-inning contest marks Jacksonville's longest game of the season.
- Jacksonville's two ranked wins are its most since 2023, when the program recorded three.
The Dolphins are trending as one of the hottest teams in the state of Florida. With recent series wins over Stetson and FGCU, along with upset victories over Florida and UCF, the team looks to carry the momentum into the final stretch of conference play.
Next up, JU will play host to the West Georgia Wolves, starting this Friday at 6:00 p.m. After a 1-2 series loss in Carrolton earlier this season, Jacksonville looks to overcome the Wolves and take second place in the ASUN's Graphite Division.
