JMU SHUTS DOWN RADFORD IN 3-1 BASEBALL WIN

Wednesday, April 4

Radford, Va.

3:00 PM

James Madison University

10-19

Radford

8-19

James Madison

Radford

4/4/2007 4:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

RADFORD, Va., April 4, 2007 ? Five James Madison University pitchers combined to limit Radford University to seven hits in a 3-1 non-conference baseball win on Wednesday afternoon at Dedmon Center Park.

JMU improved to 10-19 overall and won its second in a row. The Dukes improved to 22-13 in the all-time series after earning a split in the 2007 series. Radford, which defeated JMU 6-5 in Harrisonburg earlier in the season, fell to 8-19.

The one run scored by Radford was the fewest allowed by JMU pitchers this season. It is also the fewest runs allowed in consecutive games, combined with Sunday's 3-2 win at UNC Wilmington. The seven hits allowed tied a low for a nine-inning game. The Dukes surrendered six in a six-inning contest the first week of the season.

Redshirt senior Allie Swanson (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield) earned the victory in his first collegiate start. He allowed one run on five hits in three innings. Four JMU relievers combined to allow just two hits over the final six innings. Senior Bobby Lasko (Athens, Pa./Athens Area) pitched the ninth for his fifth save of the season. It was his 11^th career save, moving him into sole possession of second on the all-time list.

Sophomore Josh Hammonds (Herndon, Va./Herndon) took the loss for Radford. He allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits with three walks in four innings. The Radford staff issued seven walks but stranded 12 JMU runners on base, including 11 in the first six innings.

Four Dukes had two hits each with senior Joe Lake (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Junior Kellen Kulbacki (Palmyra, Pa./Hershey), redshirt freshman Steven Caseres (New City, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional), and freshman Alex Foltz (Mathias, W.Va./East Hardy) also had two hits. Kulbacki picked up his third consecutive multiple-hit game and fifth in the last six contests. Senior Davis Stoneburner (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) drove in two runs on a fielder's choice groundout and a sacrifice fly.

Sophomore Alex Gregory (Great Falls, Va./Paul VI) had two hits for the Highlanders. Junior Jonathan Spears (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) had the lone RBI.

JMU put up a run in the first inning after Lake walked, stole second, and moved to third on an infield single by Kulbacki. Lake came in to score on a RBI fielder's choice by Stoneburner.

Radford put its first run on the board in the bottom of the second. Back-to-back singles by freshman Tom Neiman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) and sophomore Rocky Weiss (Lynchburg, Va./Brookville) put two on with one out. Swanson struck out sophomore Raphael Turner (Washington, D.C./Woodrow Wilson) on three pitches before Spears lined the run-scoring single to right. The relay throw to second caught Spears rounding the base at first to end the inning.

Redshirt senior Mitchell Moses (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) reached on a throwing error by the shortstop in the third. He moved to third on Kulbacki's second hit in as many at bats. He came in to score JMU's second run unearned on a passed ball.

The Dukes added the final run in the sixth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Stoneburner to score Lake.

JMU will return home for a four-game home stand beginning Friday with a 2:30 p.m. game to open a three-game set with Northeastern University.