DABROWIECKI QUIETS JMU BATS IN 8-2 NU BASEBALL WIN

Friday, April 6

Harrisonburg, Va.

2:30 PM

James Madison University

10-20, 4-8

Northeastern

10-9, 6-6

Northeastern

James Madison

4/6/2007 4:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., April 6, 2007 ? Junior Kris Dabrowiecki (Toronto, Ont./Ursula Franklin Academy) limited James Madison University to four hits in 6 2/3 innings as Northeastern University won the Colonial Athletic Association series opener 8-2 on Friday afternoon at Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

NU improved to 10-9 overall and 6-6 in the CAA. JMU fell to 10-20 overall and 4-8 in conference play. The Dukes had won the last three head-to-head meetings between the teams.

Dabrowiecki allowed two runs on just four hits with three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. After the first two JMU batters reached on a single and a Huskies' fielding error, he settled in to retire the next nine JMU batters in a row en route to the victory. He improved to 4-1 on the season. Freshman Sheldon McDonald (Spruce Grove, Alberta/Spruce Grove Composite) allowed a hit and a walk over the final 2 1/3 innings for his second save.

Redshirt sophomore Kurt Houck (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) set down the first nine batters he faced before running into trouble in the middle and late innings. He surrendered six runs, five earned, on nine hits in eight innings of work. He tied a career high with eight strikeouts.

Senior Dan Milano (Cumberland, R.I./Cumberland) went 4-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored, and two RBIs for Northeastern. Freshman Anthony DeCesare (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) had a double, home run, RBI, and two runs scored. Junior Mike Lyon (Plainville, Mass./King Phillip) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Both JMU runs came in on a two-run home run by redshirt freshman Steven Caseres (New City, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional). Four other Dukes had one hit each as JMU was limited to five as a team.

JMU had a chance to jump out to an early lead in the first. Junior Joe Lake (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) singled on the 11^th pitch of his lead-off at bat. He stole second and moved to third when senior Davis Stoneburner (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) reached on an error by Lyon at short stop. Stoneburner stole second to set up two runners in scoring position with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts by Dabrowiecki ended the inning.

Houck set down the Huskies in order the first time through the lineup before surrendering a lead-off double to DiCesare in the fourth. A groundout, a walk and an infield single loaded the bases. The last single by Milano came after he was denied an attempt to call timeout just before the pitch. Senior Rob Altieri (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) misplayed a potential double play ball, but he recovered to get one out at first as the first Huskies run scored. A foul pop up to first base ended the inning.

The Dukes answered back in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Kellen Kulbacki (Palmyra, Pa./Hershey) led off with a walk, one of three issued by Dabrowiecki in the inning. Caseres followed with an opposite-field two-run home run, his fifth of the season.

A solo home run by DeCesare on the first pitch of the sixth inning tied the score at 2-2. The Huskies then registered three consecutive two-out singles with Lyon's hit to left driving in the lead runner for a 3-2 lead.

Milano hit a one-out single to centerfield in the eighth and advanced to second when freshman Alex Foltz (Mathias, W.Va./East Hardy) misplayed the ball. A groundout to second pushed him to third and he came around to score on Lyon's RBI single to left.

Northeastern broke the game open with four runs in the ninth inning after loading the bases with nobody out. A sacrifice fly brought in the first run, but the Dukes made it a double play by retiring the runner trying to advance from first to second. With two outs, an RBI single by Tamsin drove in the run from third and a two-run h