JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville baseball team took down the Stetson Hatters 5-2 on Sunday to clinch the series win in the first weekend of Atlantic Sun play.
"Sundays are going to dictate the success of our season, and we've talked about that all year already," said head coach
Chris Hayes. "For the guys to show up today, when we needed them most, Stetson's an extremely good ball club who plays very well, and we battled the way we can today. We came out and executed a little bit more than they did and came out with that W today."
Josh Steidl capped his seven RBI weekend with three off two hits, which included a fifth-inning solo home run, to lead the Dolphins (7-12, 2-1 ASUN) offensively in their game three victory.
"Guys are getting on base in front of him, and that's part of it," said Hayes. "Josh is letting the game come to him a little bit and putting good swings on balls in the zone. If he can continue to do that and guys continue to get on base, and he stays in the zone, he's got the ability and the power to drive it anywhere he needs to in the ballpark."
The Dolphins struck first for the first time this weekend in the home half of the first inning.
Will Gale started things off with an infield single, and
Justin Nadeau earned a base on balls after a lengthy at-bat. After a groundout from
Aidan Masters, which moved the JU baserunners up 90 feet,
Josh Steidl ripped a single up the middle to bring home both runners and see JU up 2-0. The Dolphins added a pair more in the third inning, but this time the RBI came off the bat of Connor Spellman. Gale earned a walk, as did Nadeau to lead off the frame. Masters followed that with a perfect bunt to load the bases, and Spelman brought home two with a single to center to give Jacksonville a 4-0 lead with just one out. The Dolphins were unable to bring home any more in the frame, but the damage had been done, and the Dolphins were up four through three.
After a solo shot off the bat from Steidl in the fifth flew over the center field fence, Stetson got its first runners of the game in the top half of the sixth. A solo blast from Cueto led the inning off, and a single from Hylton, who came around to score off a Hughes double to right center, made the score 5-2.
Both teams' pitching staff got into a rhythm the rest of the game. The Hatters used McAtee, usually a starter, to pitch the final 5.1 innings. Besides the solo shot he gave up to Steidl, McAtee allowed just one other hit and struck out seven.
Richard Long (2-2) got the start on the mound for the Dolphins and threw a quality start en route to his second win of the season. The junior finished with six innings pitched and surrendered two runs on six hits. He struck out three Hatters in the process.
"That's Richie Long for us, that's what we know he's going to do," said Hayes. "He's a very reliable guy that knows how to pitch, and that's just classic Richie. He gives us a chance to win every time he's out there."
Scout Updike came on in relief in the seventh inning and surrendered two hits but allowed zero earned runs to earn a hold.
Chris Lotito stepped onto the mound in the top of the ninth and gave up just one hit but set down the rest to clinch the win, the series, and his first save of the season.
UP NEXT
The Dolphins return to action on Tuesday, March 19 in Gainesville to take on the top-10 ranked Florida Gators. The game can be streamed on SECN+, and the first pitch is slated for 6:30 pm.
