WILD PITCH PUSHES DUKES PAST BLUE HENS 8-7

Saturday, April 12

Harrisonburg, Va.

1:00 PM

James Madison University

24-8, 14-3

Delaware

11-21, 5-9

Delaware

James Madison

4/12/2008 4:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., April 12, 2008 ? Redshirt junior Brett Sellers (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) tied the game with a solo home run and redshirt sophomore Steven Caseres (New City, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional) scored the game winner on a wild pitch as James Madison University scored a come-from-behind 8-7 Colonial Athletic Association victory over the University of Delaware on Saturday afternoon at Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

JMU improves to 24-8 overall and 14-3 in the CAA. The Dukes are now 4-0 in walk-off games, 7-1 in one-run games, and 7-1 in conference home games. JMU clinched its fifth CAA series win in six series this season. UD drops to 11-21 overall and 5-9 in conference.

Delaware led 7-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth when Sellers blasted a no-doubt solo shot to left centerfield with one out. It was his 10^th home run of the season and third hit of the game. Caseres and redshirt freshman Trevor Knight (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield) each drew consecutive five-pitch walks.

The Blue Hens turned to sidearm reliever David Slovak (Louisville, Ky./Eastern). He retired freshman McKinnon Langston (Tallahassee, Fla./North Florida Christian) on a short bouncer back to the pitcher, however the play advanced both runners a base. That proved key as Slovak, with sophomore Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) at bat, then threw the ball down in the dirt and through the catcher's legs for just his second wild pitch of the season in 20 innings. Caseres scampered home from third and slid in safely for the game winner.

UD pulled away from a 2-2 tie with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth for a five-run lead. However, JMU got one in the sixth, two in the seventh, and one in the eighth to set up the bottom of the ninth heroics.

Knight, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth, came in to pitch in the ninth. With a bases-loaded, one-out jam, he struck out consecutive batters to maintain the one-run deficit. He improved to 5-1 on the season.

JMU pitchers struck out 13 batters for the second consecutive game. Junior