JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Down 7-1 in the top of the ninth inning, the University of North Alabama baseball team had its biggest offensive explosion of the season as the Lions scored eight runs on the way to a 9-7 win over Jacksonville in the first of a three-game ASUN Conference series.

UNA sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning and finally took the lead on a bases loaded double by Kevin Brenning. Kaleb Barnes then came on in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win for the Lions.

With the win, UNA improves to 8-25 on the season and 3-7 in ASUN play. Jacksonville drops to 20-14 overall and 6-4 in the league.

North Alabama took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Reid Homan doubled and later scored on a Harris Kain RBI-single.

Jacksonville then took the lead with a three-run third inning, scoring the three runs on just one hit and two UNA errors. The Dolphins added three more runs in the sixth and one in the eighth for a 7-1 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Ben Kiefer singled and Gerardo Miranda came on to run for him. With one out, Drew Hudson walked and Peyton Sockwell singled to load the bases. A Homan single drove in two runs and a Reid Singewald single scored Sockwell to make it 7-4. Kain walked to re-load the bases and Davis Elliott drew a walk to force in Homan and cut the JU lead to 7-5. Brenning then unleashed a two-run double to tie the game and he and Singewald would eventually scored on the play following a Jacksonville throwing error to make it 9-7.

Josh Stillman got the win for UNA, pitching two innings and allowed one run on two hits. Stillman was the third UNA pitcher in the game, following starter Kyle Moore and Hunter Davidson. Barnes got his first save of the season, allowing just one hit in the ninth inning.

The Lions and Dolphins continue the series with single games Saturday and Sunday.