THE RUNDOWN
Friday night, DBU (30-23, 18-10 CUSA) defeated Jacksonville State (41-12, 22-6 CUSA) by a score of 13-3, as the Patriots needed just seven innings to win the series opener. Four different Patriots recorded exactly three RBI tonight; three of which –
Jake Bennett,
Ben Tryon, and
Cooper Neville – homered in the win.
Liam Watt tossed his third quality start of the season, working six innings of two-run ball, striking out three in the process.
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DBU kicked down the door in the bottom of the first with a four-run frame, featuring back-to-back run-scoring hits. With one out and runners on second and third,
Ben Tryon drove in the game's first run with a single to right, before
Jake Bennett cleared the bases with a three-run opposite-field homer.
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The Gamecocks would record two tallies of their own in the top of the second, but the Patriots would respond by putting up another four-spot. With two on and two out in the bottom half of the frame,
Luke Pettitte flared a backside single to score
Cooper Neville and
Adam Berghult. The next man up was
Ben Tryon, and he stayed on an outside fastball, sending it over the left field wall to make the score 8-2 in favor of DBU.
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Neither team would break through in the run column again until the bottom of the fifth, where, with two away in the inning,
Cooper Neville launched a three-run, 408-foot homer over the right field wall. Neville's eighth blast of the year made it an 11-2 game.
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After Watt tossed a scoreless sixth to end his night, the Patriots once again added to their lead in the sixth. With one gone in the bottom half,
Chayton Krauss and
Luke Pettitte recorded back-to-back doubles, which resulted in a run. Later on in the inning, Pettitte would score his second run of the night on a throwing error on a
Dylan Schlaegel single.
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Defending an 11-run lead in the top of the seventh,
Dillon Haines and
Athan Kroll tag-teamed what would be the final frame of the night, as DBU held on for a 13-3 run-rule victory over the CUSA leaders.
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THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Jake Bennett has homered in consecutive games for the third time this season.
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Ben Tryon has left the yard in back-to-back contests for the second time in his collegiate career.
- 14 hits is tied for the fourth-highest mark set by the Patriots this season.
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
18 -
Jake Bennett's first-inning home run tied
Chayton Krauss for the team lead this season.
5 - Watt's quality start tonight was the fifth of the season thrown by a DBU pitcher.
4 -
Dylan Schlaegel reached base safely in each of his four plate appearances tonight.
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ON DECK
DBU will continue its final regular season series of 2026 tomorrow night. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CST.
