JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — The UNC Wilmington Seahawks erupted for five runs in the top of the first inning and rode a dominant relief performance from Trey Williford to a 9-4 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins on Saturday afternoon at John Sessions Stadium.

The win, played under partly cloudy skies that gave way to evening lights, leveled the weekend series at one game apiece and improved UNC Wilmington to 7-5 overall. Jacksonville fell to 9-5.

The game’s decisive sequence came not at its start, but in the middle innings. After UNC Wilmington starter Cooper Allen labored through four innings, allowing three runs on nine hits, the Seahawks turned to Williford with a 9-3 lead in the fifth. The right-hander extinguished a potential Jacksonville rally by inducing an inning-ending strikeout-caught stealing double play. He then proceeded to silence the Dolphins’ bats, firing 3 1/3 hitless innings of relief, striking out four and walking none to earn the save.

Williford’s outing was the stabilizing force for UNC Wilmington after a shaky start from Allen and ensured a massive six-run Seahawks rally in the sixth inning would stand up. That rally was the most important part of the game, transforming a 3-2 contest into a commanding 9-3 lead. The inning was fueled by Jacksonville defensive miscues, aggressive baserunning, and timely hitting. Williford’s entrance immediately afterward slammed the door on any Dolphins comeback hopes.

The Seahawks ambushed Jacksonville starter Payton Waters immediately. Kevin Jones and Jake Bechtel launched back-to-back solo home runs in the first inning, part of a five-run opening frame that saw UNC Wilmington send nine men to the plate. Waters settled in to last five innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits.

Jacksonville chipped away against Allen. Sam Grunberg launched a two-run homer in the second, and Roger Vergara added an RBI single in the third to cut the deficit to 3-2. Vergara finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs, while Grunberg went 2 for 5 with two RBIs.

The game turned decisively in the sixth. With two on and one out, Waters was lifted for Dominic Pieto, who was greeted by a two-run double from W. Tyrrell. A throwing error on a sacrifice bunt and a subsequent wild pitch opened the floodgates, with JP Pennella capping the inning with an RBI double. All six runs were unearned due to the error. Pennella finished 3 for 5 with an RBI, while Bechtel was 2 for 3 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI.

Jacksonville out-hit UNC Wilmington 11-10 but grounded into two double plays and stranded 10 baserunners. The Dolphins added a final run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly from Vergara against Seahawks closer Jackson Caldwell, who recorded the final two outs.

The victory provided a swift rebuttal to Jacksonville’s 1-0 shutout win in the series opener on Friday. The teams conclude the three-game set on Sunday. According to pregame projections, Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a 6-5 Jacksonville win, while its ELO system gave UNC Wilmington a 60.8% probability of victory.