JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville wasted no time setting the tone and never looked back, rolling to a 10-1 win over Queens in the series opener Friday night at John Sessions Stadium.
Behind a dominant outing from Alex Walsh and a late offensive surge, the Dolphins improved to 23-18 on the season with their fourth consecutive ASUN win.
Walsh was in control from the jump, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out eight. The right-hander worked around three walks and consistently won the strike zone, keeping Queens off balance all night en route to his sixth win of the season.
Jacksonville struck first in the opening frame. Sammy Mummau drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on Roger Vergara's double before Derek Bermudez brought him home with a sacrifice fly to give the Dolphins a 1-0 lead.
That margin held steady as Walsh and the bullpen kept Queens quiet through the middle innings, setting the stage for Jacksonville to break things open late.
The Dolphins added on in the sixth, capitalizing on pressure and a Queens error to push the lead to 3-0. But it was the seventh inning where the game began to tilt heavily in Jacksonville's favor.
With traffic on the bases, Sam Grunberg delivered a clutch two-run single up the middle, extending the lead to 5-0 and giving the Dolphins breathing room.
Queens scratched across its lone run in the eighth, but Jacksonville answered immediately; and emphatically.
The Dolphins erupted for five runs in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by Abdriel Delgado's two-run home run to right that put the finishing touches on the 10-1 victory. The swing was reminiscent of a similar moment from Abdriel Delgado in the series clincher against West Georgia, when he launched a no-doubt shot over the right field wall to extend the lead to six.
Jacksonville tallied four hits in the frame and took advantage of free passes and timely hitting to put the game out of reach.
At the plate, Jacksonville produced eight hits with contributions throughout the lineup. Mummau scored three times and reached base twice, extending his hit streak to eleven games. Grunberg drove in a pair, also extending his hitting streak to eight. Delgado added two RBIs, including the late homer, and Bermudez chipped in with two RBIs of his own.
Out of the bullpen, Kyle Hopper, Ayden Phillips, and Logan Hartman combined to close out the final three innings, allowing just one run and securing the win.
Jacksonville and Queens will continue the series Saturday at John Sessions Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 pm.
