JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Baseball erased an early six-run deficit and exploded for 12 unanswered runs across the middle innings to defeat West Georgia, 13-7, in Friday night's series opener at John Sessions Stadium.
After falling behind 6-0 through the first two innings, the Dolphins steadily chipped away before breaking the game open with a six-run seventh inning to take control for good. Jacksonville finished with 15 hits on the night, with contributions up and down the lineup fueling the comeback.
Roger Vergara and
Sam Grunberg each turned in three-hit performances, while
Logan Baratta and
Blake Edmonds drove in three runs apiece.
Conner Spelman scored three times and delivered a key triple in the eighth as the Dolphins continued to apply pressure late.
On the mound, Jacksonville's bullpen flipped the game.
Grant Brooks,
Kyle Hopper,
Josh Fernald, and
Austin Williamson combined to shut down West Georgia over the final five innings, allowing just one run while giving the offense time to respond. Hopper earned the win in relief.
The Dolphins also continued to lean on some of their hottest bats, with Edmonds and Grunberg extending strong recent stretches at the plate during the comeback effort.
How It Happened
West Georgia jumped out early, plating five runs in the opening inning behind a three-run homer before adding another in the second to take a 6-0 lead.
Jacksonville answered in the third when
Roger Vergara doubled home
Cade Walter, but the Wolves pushed their lead to 7-1 in the sixth.
The momentum shifted in the bottom half of that inning. Vergara and
Derek Bermudez reached to open the frame before
Sam Grunberg came around to score on an error.
Logan Baratta followed with an RBI single, and
Sammy Mummau delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit to 7-5.
Jacksonville carried that momentum into the seventh. Grunberg brought home a run with an RBI single before
Abdriel Delgado and
Conner Spelman helped set the table for Baratta, who delivered a go-ahead two-run single to give the Dolphins their first lead of the night.
Blake Edmonds followed with a two-run single of his own, and Vergara capped the inning with an RBI knock as Jacksonville surged in front 11-7.
The Dolphins added to the lead in the eighth, highlighted by Spelman's triple to left-center and an RBI single from Edmonds to push the advantage to 13-7.
From there, the bullpen closed the door, securing the comeback victory in the series opener.
Notables
Blake Edmonds continued his strong stretch at the plate, hitting .429 over his last five games with three runs scored, four RBI, and five walks/hit-by-pitches. During that span, his average has climbed from .184 to .238.
Sam Grunberg has been one of Jacksonville's hottest hitters, batting .500 (9-for-18) over his last four games with five runs scored, three RBI, two doubles, a triple, and a home run. His average has risen from .226 to .270.
Kyle Hopper has been a steady presence out of the bullpen, posting a 1.29 ERA across his last six appearances. Over 7.0 innings, he has gone 4-0 while striking out 10.
Sammy Mummau stayed hot at the plate, adding a multi-hit night and a pivotal two-run single in the sixth inning to help ignite Jacksonville's comeback. Entering the game, Mummau was hitting .387 over his last nine contests, raising his average from .256 to .291 during that stretch. He now sits at .295.
Jacksonville will look to carry the momentum into game two of the series on Saturday, with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. at John Sessions Stadium. Fans in attendance can also take part in a pair of giveaways, with a golf bag and an Arctic cooler both up for grabs.
