LIBERTY FLAMES BURN DUKES WITH LATE RALLY, 12-11

Tuesday, April 11

Lynchburg, Va.

TBA

James Madison University

22-13

Liberty

26-8

James Madison

Liberty

4/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

LYNCHBURG, Va., April 11, 2006 – Liberty scored six runs in the eighth inning to take its first lead of the game and James Madison had the tying run on third when the game ended as the Flames posted a 12-11 victory over the Dukes Tuesday afternoon at Worthington Stadium.

Senior left fielder Phillip Laurent (Cantrall, Ill./Calvary Academy) led the Flames charge back with a 5-for-5 performance and three RBIs. His two-out RBI single in the eighth plated the tying run and he eventually completed the circuit to score what proved to be the decisive run.

Sophomore Aaron Grijalva (Redlands, Calif./Redlands East Valley) was the only other Flame with multiple hits as the first baseman went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs. It was his flare to right that drove in Laurent for the difference maker.

The LU eighth, which began with sophomore center fielder P.K. Keller (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northside Christian) reaching on a wild pitch after swinging at a third strike, also featured a double by junior shortstop Patrick Gaillard (Taylors, S.C./Eastside) that drove in two and cut the lead to 10-8. Sophomore third baseman David Giammaresi (Coral Springs, Fla./Westminister Academy) closed the gap to 10-9 with a sacrifice fly to center field before Laurent stepped to the plate one batter, who was hit by a pitch, later.

Redshirt junior catcher Dan Santobianco (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) led off the JMU ninth when he blasted a hard hopper past the third baseman and down the line for a double. Freshman third baseman Brett Garner (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) traded places with a double, his third hit of the day, in the left-center gap. He was advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior right fielder Matt Bristow (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin).

That would be as far as Garner would get as junior right-hander Tim John (Mainland Regional/Linwood, N.J.) would get a strikeout and a popup to end the threat and earn the Flames a split in the home-and-home series this spring.

The big bats of senior second baseman Michael Cowgill (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay) and senior first baseman Nate Schill (Audubon, N.J./Audubon) helped stake the Dukes to a 9-3 lead after four innings. Cowgill started the game with his career-best 15^th homer of the season, doubled in two runs in the second, and blasted a three-run homer in the third. Schill went deep in back-to-back at bats in the third and fourth innings to up his season total to 11.

The Dukes also had a career-best plate outing from junior shortstop Rob Altieri (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) in terms of hits. He went 4-for-5, drove in a run and scored twice. Altieri had a pair of three-hit outings to his career credit.

The Dukes loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, but managed only one run. That proved critical as it kept the Flames within striking distance.

Redshirt freshman Kurt Houck (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) worked five innings in his first collegiate start. Making his eighth overall appearance, he retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced before turning the ball over to the bullpen.&