The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Jacksonville
Akron Downed 5-1 at Jacksonville
March 14 | Baseball
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of Akron baseball team was downed by Jacksonville, 5-1, on Wednesday at Sessions Stadium.
Tyler Begun extended his hitting streak to ten games, going 2-for-4 to lead Akron. The hit streak is a new career-long for the sophomore.
In his first career start, Matt Gebacz was given the loss after allowing two earned runs in 3.0 innings. Sophomore Brendan Liberti and redshirt freshman Andrew Fanning made their first career pitching appearances, combining to allow just two hits in 3.0 scoreless innings.
The loss drops Akron to 3-11 on the season.
Chris Anderson and Garrett Ruckel both tallied a pair of hits for Jacksonville (8-9), while the JU pitching staff limited Akron to just five hits.
Anderson drove in Jonathon Murphy to start the scoring in the second inning. Murphy had tripled with one out to get into scoring position. After Anderson advanced all the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt, he scored on a Chris Moye sacrifice fly to center.
Walks were the undoing of the UA pitching staff in the fourth as the Dolphins scored a run on no hits. Gebacz walked the first two of the inning and reliever Kevin Gamble then gave up a walk and hit a batter to force home a run.
Garrett Ruckel then made it 5-0 with a two-run single in the fifth. Gamble had recorded the first two outs before allowing a walk and a single, which started the JU rally.
A lead-off single and a steal by Jared Turocy led to Akron's run in the eighth. Turocy then scored on Begun's single to Moye at short. Moye's throw was tossed away, allowing Turocy to score.
Akron resumes its spring break trip tomorrow, returning to Sessions Stadium to play Fairfield at 6:30 p.m.
