JMU TOPS TOWSON 6-2 TO OPEN CAA BASEBALL SERIES

Friday, May 11

Harrisonburg, Va.

3:00 PM

James Madison University

21-26, 10-13

Towson

18-28, 8-16

Towson

James Madison

5/11/2007 4:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., May 11, 2007 ? Senior southpaw Jacob Cook (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) threw the first nine-inning complete game of the season for James Madison University in a 6-2 win over Towson University on Friday afternoon in the opening game of a Colonial Athletic Association series at Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

JMU improved to 21-26 overall and 10-13 in the CAA. The Dukes won their third in a row, seventh out of the last eight, and 10^th of 12. JMU also won its fifth in a row over Towson, which fell to 18-28 overall and 8-16 in conference play.

Cook picked up the second complete game of his career and worked into the ninth inning for his second straight start. He allowed the two Towson runs on six hits with two strikeouts. Cook increased his JMU record for appearances with the 90^th of his career, and he also moved into second place in career innings pitched with 276, passing Dana Allison's (1986-89) 273.

Redshirt freshman Steven Caseres (New City, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional) and sophomore Brett Garner (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) each homered and had two RBIs for the Dukes. For Caseres, it was his 11^th of the year and fourth in the last five games. Senior Davis Stoneburner (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin), redshirt junior Joe Lake (Elkridge, Md./Long Rech), and freshman Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) each had two hits for the Dukes. Browning extended his team season-best hitting streak to 14 games.

Senior Tyler Travis (Stillwater, N.Y./Stillwater) took the loss in relief for Towson after allowing four runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. Senior Joe Peeler (Pasadena, Md./Mount St. Joseph) started and allowed two runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Senior Hans Falkenhan (Silver Spring, Md./Blake) was the only player with two hits for Towson. He and senior catcher Ryan Schreiter (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville Area) had the RBIs for the Tigers.

Browning led off the second inning with a hard shot to center field to extend his hitting streak to 14. He moved to third on a single by Caseres off the foot of Peeler and scored on an RBI single by Garner.

Towson tied the game in the fourth on a solo home run to left field by Schreiter, his second of the season. The Tigers took the lead in the fifth after freshman Steve Yarsinsky (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) singled, moved to second on a bunt, and scored on a two-out single off the end of the bat by Falkenhan that blooped over the left side of the infield.

The Dukes tied the game back up at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run to right field by Garner, his second RBI of the game. The Dukes had a chance for more. Freshman Alez Foltz (Mathias, W.Va./East Hardy) walked but was caught stealing at second. Lake singled and Stoneburner doubled. The open base led to an intentional walk of junior Kellen Kulbacki (Palmyra, Pa./Hershey) for bases loaded and one down. Junior first baseman A.J. Tinnirella (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) was able to knock down redshirt sophomore Lee Bujakowski's (Hopewell, Va./Hopewell) ground ball and make the out at home. Browning then grounded out to short to end the threat.

Redshirt senior Mitchell Moses (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) led off the bottom of the sixth with a single through the left side and came around to score on a home run to left center by Caseres, his fourth in the last five games. The single for Moses extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

JMU got back-to-back walks from Stoneburner and Kulbacki to start the seventh. After a fly out, Browning picked up an RBI single through the left side.

The Dukes added a run in the eighth after Caseres walked and moved to third on a single to left by Foltz. Lake picked up the RBI