JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville leaned on a dominant outing from Brendan Holland and timely swings throughout the night, knocking off Queens, 6-2, on Saturday at John Sessions Stadium to clinch the series.
With the win, the Dolphins have now won seven straight games and secured their fourth consecutive ASUN series victory. They are four games back for first place in the ASUN's Graphite division.
Holland set the tone early and never let up.
The left-hander and recent ASUN Pitcher of the Week turned in a career performance, striking out a career-high 12 batters over 6.2 innings while allowing just two runs. His 12 punchouts are tied for the fourth-most in a single game in program history, as he consistently attacked the zone and won key moments to keep Queens from gaining traction.
Jacksonville wasted little time giving him support.
The Dolphins broke through in the second inning, stringing together quality at-bats to take control. Cade Walter delivered an RBI double to open the scoring before Jacksonville capitalized on a Queens error later in the frame to push three runs across and grab a 3-0 lead.
Queens responded with a solo home run in the third and added another run in the sixth to trim the deficit to one, but Jacksonville had an answer waiting.
In the bottom of the sixth, Logan Baratta brought a run home with a groundout before Archer Ogbourne ripped an RBI double, stretching the lead to 5-2 and swinging the momentum back firmly in the Dolphins' favor.
From there, the bullpen handled the rest.
Dominic Pieto took over late and slammed the door, tossing two scoreless innings while allowing just one hit to secure his sixth save of the season and the third most in the ASUN.
Jacksonville added insurance in the eighth when Sam Grunberg launched a solo home run to left-center, putting the finishing touches on the 6-2 victory.
At the plate, the Dolphins tallied eight hits with production up and down the lineup. Walter and Ogbourne each delivered key extra-base hits, while Baratta added an RBI as part of Jacksonville's balanced offensive effort. The Dolphins poured five runs on Queens' graduate pitcher, Joey Ruller.
Head Coach Chris Hayes spoke to the group's resiliency following the win.
"The belief in each other and the work we've put in — that's what it comes down to. We had a tough stretch in March, but the guys did a great job of putting that behind them and executing together. They've gotten closer, and honestly, we've been pitching better. We're giving our offense a chance."
JU will look to complete the sweep Sunday at John Sessions Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm est.
