Friday, April 21, 2006

Jacksonville, Fla. (April 21, 2006) - Atlantic Sun Conference leading Jacksonville scored three ninth inning runs, rallying from a two-run deficit to post a 6-5 victory over visiting ETSU Friday evening from Andrew Brest Field, extending the Bucs season-high losing streak to five games.

After senior closer Steven Calicutt (Spartanburg, S.C.) retired the first batter of the final frame, the Dolphins strung together three consecutive singles to knot the game at five.

With two outs and runners on second and third, designated hitter Brian Hudgins, in his first at-bat of the game, reached on an infield single, driving in left fielder Pete Clifford fir the game-winner.

The Dolphins (29-12, 11-5) took a 2-0  lead in the third inning, stringing together o one-out singles and a two-out two-RBI single by third baseman Daniel Murphy.

Senior first baseman Blake Church (Roswell, Ga.) led off the fourth inning with a double to left field, and later scored on junior Michael Courtney's (Knoxville, Tenn.) ground out to cut the lead in half.

Church struck again in the top of the fifth, driving in senior Matt Traylor (Knoxville, Tenn.) on a sacrifice fly to left field, tying the game at two.

The Dolphins executed a suicide squeeze with one out in the bottom of the sixth, scoring designated hitter Thomas LePage, and reclaiming the lead at 3-2.

The Bucs (21-19, 8-11) scored three times in the seventh for their first lead of the game.  A wild pitch brought Traylor home, tying the game at three, and junior C.J. Lee (Bristol, Va.) followed with an infield single, scoring junior Stephen Douglas (Kennesaw, Ga.) for a 4-3 advantage.  Senior shortstop Chuck Hargis (Powell, Tenn.) capped the scoring in the inning with a double to right center field, bringing Church in to score for the second time.

Calicutt took the loss, falling to 6-4 on the season, and reliever Matt Davis improved to 4-1 in relief of Dolphin starter Matt Dobbins.

The series continues with a 1 p.m. game time Saturday afternoon.