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Box score (PDF)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dylan Dillard went 3-for-3 from the plate, drove in two runs and scored three times to help the Jacksonville University baseball team capture a 10-0 victory over Northern Kentucky University to complete the Atlantic Sun Conference series sweep at John Sessions Stadium on Saturday.
Dillard, who also stole one base, walked once and was hit by a pitch, led five Jacksonville players with multi-hit games, including Cameron Gibson's 2-for-3 effort. Gibson drove in three runs and scored once, as Scott Schaub and Alex Seifert each recorded 2-for-4 days from the plate.
Connor Marabell finished 2-for-5 and scored once for the Dolphins, who finished the regular season 20-31 on the year and 13-13 in the Atlantic Sun. Jacksonville's season will continue next week as the Dolphins will participate in the conference championship for the first time since 2011.
Zach Gordon improved to 3-5 on the mound, pitching five innings in his sixth start of the season. He scattered three hits and struck out two batters with just one walk. Andrew Ciacio and Ray Moody each pitched one perfect inning of relief with a strikeout for the Dolphins.
Jacksonville wasted no time putting runs on the scoreboard in the series finale. After starter
Wendell Wright retired the first two Dolphins batters in the bottom of the first inning, Marabell singled and went to second when Schaub drew a four-pitch walk.
Dillard then sent the first pitch he saw up the middle, and Marabell came home for the first run of the game. Gibson followed with a single through the left side, and Schaub and Dillard scored for the early 3-0 Jacksonville lead.
The Dolphins then added a run to their total in the third when a Gibson single allowed Dillard, who reached base on a single earlier in the inning, to come home before taking advantage of two Norse errors in the fifth inning. Jacksonville brought home three runs on two hits in addition to NKU's throwing miscues to stretch its advantage to 7-0, and the Dolphins scored three more in the seventh for the final margin of the game.
NKU, which stranded eight base runners on the day, made one last attempt at avoiding the shutout in the top of the ninth.
Logan Spurlin sent a 1-2 pitch into left field, and he went to third on a
Jordan Procyshen one-out double to right. Jacksonville, however, was able to retire
Josh Myers and
Brad Bohlen to end the game.
Spurlin led the way for the NKU offense, finishing 2-for-4 with a double.
Zac Asman, playing in the final game of his career, finished 1-for-3 and was hit by a pitch. Spurlin and
Cody Kuzniczci each recorded their 100th hit on Saturday in their second season with the Norse.
Wright (2-6) allowed three runs on four hits with one strikeout and one walk in 2.1 innings of work before an injury forced him to leave the game early.
Garrett Schrantz pitched 3.2 innings of relief and gave up four runs, just one earned, on five hits.
Asman finished his four-year career in eighth place on NKU's games played list, having participated in 204 contests in a Norse uniform, and fifth on the all-time at-bats list with 707 plate appearances.
NKU finished its second season as an NCAA Division I program 14-37 overall and 6-21 in the Atlantic Sun.
