DELAND, Fla. (Interstat) — Gavin Oswald pitched five scoreless innings and the North Alabama Lions racked up 12 hits to shut out the Jacksonville Dolphins 5-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Melching Field at Conrad Park.

The game, an ASUN conference matchup, was originally scheduled for the evening but moved up due to weather concerns. North Alabama improved to 29-26 overall, while Jacksonville fell to 30-25.

Oswald, who entered with a 5-2 record, struck out six and allowed only two hits over five innings. He walked two and did not allow a runner past second base. Justus Agosto followed with four innings of one-hit relief, striking out three to secure the combined shutout.

Jacksonville starter Brendan Holland took the loss. He lasted three innings, giving up three runs on two hits with two strikeouts and three walks. The Dolphins used four relievers, with Benjamin Baker-Livingston and Dominic Pieto each tossing two scoreless innings and Scout Updike recording one out.

North Alabama broke the game open in the bottom of the second inning. After a single by Kaleb Walker and a hit by pitch to Logan Millard, Tyler LePage doubled down the left-field line to score Walker. Jackson Westmoreland then singled up the middle, plating Millard and LePage to give the Lions a 3-0 lead. Petey Craska followed with a double, but the inning ended on a groundout.

Jacksonville threatened in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Chris Vergara walked and Michael Bermudez singled, putting runners on first and second. A walk to Jake Baratta loaded the bases, but Nathan Spelman grounded out to third to end the inning.

North Alabama added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. After a single by Cole Loving and a walk to Westmoreland, Craska singled to load the bases. Coleman sacrificed to bring home Loving, and Nash Rippen doubled to right-center to score Westmoreland, making it 5-0.

From there, Oswald and Agosto silenced the Jacksonville bats. The Dolphins managed only three hits in the game, all singles. Vergara, Baratta and Spelman each singled, but no Jacksonville runner advanced past second base after the fourth inning. The Dolphins struck out 12 times and left seven runners on base.

Craska led the North Alabama offense with three hits in four at-bats, including a double. Rippen had two hits and an RBI, and Westmoreland drove in two runs. LePage added an RBI double.

Jacksonville had won seven of its previous nine games entering Wednesday, including a 7-1 victory over Austin Peay on Tuesday. But the Dolphins could not solve Oswald, who was coming off a 5.1-inning, three-hit, zero-earned-run outing against Austin Peay on May 14.

North Alabama carried momentum from a series victory over Austin Peay last weekend, outscoring the Governors 23-7 in three games. The Lions have won four of their last five.

The game marked the first meeting between the two teams this season. Jacksonville remains in contention for an ASUN tournament berth, while North Alabama moved within one game of the Dolphins in the conference standings.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Jacksonville 5, North Alabama 4. Interstat’s ELO system had given Jacksonville a 68.50 percent probability to win.