April 29, 2000

Jacksonville, Fla. - After hitting just 35 home runs in 46 games, and two home runs in an inning only three times all season, Jacksonville (27-20, 11-11) hit two homers in three different innings to set a single-game season-high of six home runs in a 17-8 victory over Samford (20-27, 6-16) Friday night at Alexander Brest Field.   After a 97 minute rain delay, JU put together innings of four, five and six runs to end a seven game home losing streak and defeat Samford for the fourth time in four meetings between the two schools.

Junior starter Josh Daws (West Palm Beach, Fla.) showed no ill-effects of the long delay by pitching a scoreless top of the first, before Jacksonville erupted for four runs on three hits and a Samford error to post a 4-0 lead after one inning of play.   Senior Josh Hurrell (Lincoln, Neb.) and freshman Chad Hauseman (Pottstown, Penn.) had the Dolphins' biggest hits of the inning on back-to-back home runs with one out.   However, the Dolphins lead was short lived as the Bulldogs scored five unearned runs after two were out in the top of the second to go ahead 5-4.  The game of back and forth on the scoreboard continued in the bottom of the second as JU once again took the lead (6-5) by scoring two runs on a single by sophomore Josh Johnson (Jacksonville, Fla.).

Leading 6-5 heading to the third, Daws shut the Bulldogs down in order for the first time in the game.  After a change in pitchers for Samford, JU put two on with one out on back-to-back walks, but a double-play ball to third ended the Dolphin threat.   Samford took advantage of the Dolphins' missed opportunity in the fourth as they reclaimed the lead on a three-run home run to center by Major Allred (9).  Trailing for the second time in the game, JU was unable to score against the Bulldogs' reliever in the bottom of the inning and the score remained 8-6 in favor of Samford.

After allowing a one-out double off the wall in left, Daws retired the final two Bulldogs of the fifth on strikeouts to keep JU with in two runs (8-6).  It was all JU from that point forward as the Dolphins plated five in the fifth and six in the seventh.   The fifth was highlighted by a pair of Dolphin home runs.  Sophomore Jarvis Fraser (Macclenny, Fla.) picked up the Dolphins' first of the inning, and his fourth of the season, with a one-out three-run home run to left, while Josh Johnson (5) followed with a two-run shot of his own. 

Daws cruised through the sixth and seventh, allowing just one Bulldog to reach base on a walk, to set up the Dolphins third big-inning of the game.  JU sent nine men to the plate in the seventh as the Dolphins batted around for the second time in three innings.   Hurrell (6) got things started in the inning with his second two-run shot of the game, before junior Jami Rodgers (Macclenny, Fla.) doubled to left to drive in Hauseman who had walked following the Hurrell homer.  Junior Scott Biernacki (DeLand, Fla.) joined the Dolphin hit parade with JU's second two-run blast of the inning, clearing the centerfield wall for his third home run of the season.  With five runs in and two outs, senior John Vollstedt (Jacksonville, Fla.) tripled to left center, setting up Josh Johnson to drive in his sixth run of the game with a single to right.

With the game in hand, Daws pitched a scoreless eighth before turning the ball over to freshman Luke Wiegand (Glen St. Mary, Fla.) for his first collegiate appearance.   Wiegand responded by throwing a four-pitch perfect ninth to cap the Dolphins 17-8 victory.  Six Dolphins (Hurrell, Dale Johnson, Biernacki, Fraser) collected multiple hits in the game led by Josh Johnson's four and Vollstedt's three.  Josh Johnson tied a career-high, and his own season single-game high, with six RBI, while Hurrell added four RBI and Fraser three.  Daws (4-2) picked up the victory by pitching eight innings and allowing just three earned runs while striking out six.  Bud Miller (2-2) took the loss for Samford in relief.

JU and Samford will complete their three-game TAAC series on Saturday afternoon with a 1:00 doubleheader.