THREE-RUN EIGHTH PUSHES JMU PAST LIBERTY 10-7

Tuesday, April 22

Harrisonburg, Va.

3:00 PM

James Madison University

27-10

Liberty

20-20

Liberty

James Madison

4/22/2008 4:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., April 22, 2008 ? Junior Brett Garner's (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) eighth-inning RBI single proved to be the game winner and sophomore Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) followed with a two-run home run as James Madison University pulled away from Liberty University for a 10-7 baseball victory on Tuesday afternoon at Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

JMU improved to 27-10 overall and finished the season sweep of Liberty with its third victory in 2008 against the Flames. The Dukes also won 3-2 on March 18 and 4-0 on April 8, both in Lynchburg. LU fell to 20-20 overall.

The score was tied at 7-7 after six innings and remained tied heading into the bottom of the eighth. After two quick outs, freshman McKinnon Langston (Tallahasee, Fla./North Florida Christian) drew a four-pitch walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. On the next offering, Garner hit a soft bouncer past the pitcher and placed perfectly between the middle infielders. The ball skirted a few feet off the glove of the diving short stop, allowing Langston to race all the way home. Browning then drilled an opposite-field line drive over the wall in right center for a 10-7 lead.

Liberty got a pair of doubles in the ninth to set up second and third with one out, but JMU freshman hurler Turner Phelps (Roanoke, Va./Lord Botetourt) recovered to retire the last two batters on a strikeout and a groundout to seal the victory, improving to 3-0.

Phelps entered with one out in the second inning after junior Justin Wood (Dayton, Va./Turner Ashby) allowed four runs on a pair of home runs. Phelps worked a career-best 7 2/3 innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts. It was just the second double-digit strikeout performance by a JMU pitcher in two seasons. He twice retired nine consecutive Flames with his only trouble coming in the fifth and sixth innings when he struggled with his command, issuing three walks and five wild pitches.

Garner was 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. In three games against Liberty this season, he is 6-for-13 (.462) with two doubles, two home runs, and six of his 19 RBIs. Four of his 10 extra-base hits for the season have come against