JMU DROPS CAA BASEBALL OPENER TO ODU, 8-2

Friday, March 9

Harrisonburg, Va.

2:30 PM

James Madison University

1-11, 0-1

Old Dominion

12-7, 1-0

Old Dominion

James Madison

3/9/2007 5:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., March 9, 2007 ? Sophomore Dan Hudson (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) struck out 11 batters in eight innings in leading Old Dominion University to an 8-2 win over James Madison University in the Colonial Athletic Association baseball opener for both teams on Friday afternoon at Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

ODU improved to 12-7 overall and 1-0 in the CAA. JMU dropped to 1-11 and 0-1 in the CAA. The Dukes have lost nine in a row and are off to the worst start in program history.

Hudson improved to 3-2 in 2007 with the win. He limited the Dukes to two runs on six hits in eight innings of work. He struck out 11 and walked just two while improving to 2-0 in his career against JMU.

Redshirt sophomore Kurt Houck (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) took the loss for JMU. He surrendered five runs, four earned, on nine hits in eight innings. He struck out six and walked three. Redshirt senior Allie Swanson (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield) pitched the ninth, allowing a three-run home run to David Burns (Jacksonville, Fla./Lake Sumter C.C.).

Burnes finished the day 2-for-3 with two walks, the three-run blast and three runs scored. Freshman Jake McAloose (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) and junior Chris Keenan (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) each had two hits for the Monarchs while senior Nick Erdman (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) and sophomore Anthony Shawler (Chesapeake, Va./Oscar Smith) added two-run singles.

Junior outfielder Kellen Kulbacki (Palmyra, Pa./Hershey) was 3-for-4 for JMU with two doubles, one RBI, and a run scored. Junior Joe Lake (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach), seeing his first action since an injury in the first game of the season, pinch hit in the seventh and went 2-for-2.

JMU was hitless until the bottom of the third. After Hudson retired the first two Dukes in the inning, he plunked freshman Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) with the first pitch thrown to him. Kulbacki then registered the first hit of the day on a line-drive double to the wall in right field. Fabiaschi came all the way around from first to score on the play.

McAloose led off the top of the fourth with a single through the left side of the infield. Houck then issued his first walk of the day to Burns. Catcher Tyler Belcher (Bristol, Va./Virginia) grounded out to second to advance both runners. Shawler came through with a clutch single up the middle to stake ODU to a 2-1 lead.

The Monarchs got two on in the sixth on walks. Sophomore Cameron Scott (Culpeper, Va./Notre Dame Academy) then singled to right field to bring one run in to score. A throwing error by Kulbacki up the line allowed the runners to advance. Erdman then chopped a ball over the leaping, outstretched glove of Fabiaschi at third to score both runs for a 5-1 ODU lead.

JMU got one back in the bottom of the sixth. Kulbacki singled to the shortstop and senior Davis Stoneburner (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) followed with a double off the wall in left field, his first double of the year. First baseman Steven Caseres (New City, N.Y./St. Joseph's Regional) grounded out to second base to score Kulbacki and move Stoneburner to third.

ODU put the game away with a three-run home run by Burns in the ninth.

The teams will meet for the middle game of the three-game set on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. before playing the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.