VCU TAKES BASEBALL SERIES OPENER 6-4 OVER JMU

Friday, April 25

Harrisonburg, Va.

3:00 PM

James Madison University

28-11, 16-5

VCU

11-24, 4-12

Va. Commonwealth

James Madison

4/25/2008 4:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., April 25, 2008 ? Junior R.J. Schenk (Yorktown, Va./Tabb) hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 deadlock to lead Virginia Commonwealth University to a 6-4 win over James Madison University in the opener of a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series on Friday afternoon at Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

VCU, which hadn't played since the previous Saturday, snapped a three-game losing streak while improving to 11-24 overall and 4-12 in the CAA. JMU had a three-game winning streak halted and fell to 28-11 overall and 16-5 in conference. The Dukes dropped their Friday series opener for the second straight week after opening the season 6-0 on Fridays.

Junior Jared Bolden (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) drilled a one-out, full-count double to put a runner on base in the seventh inning. Schenk drilled the next pitch deep to right field to put the Rams on top. After a single and a stolen base by sophomore Matthew Leskiw (Plains, Pa./James), singled to right field to score the sixth run.

The Dukes had a chance to make up the difference in the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases with one out on a single and a pair of walks. Sophomore Phillip Deane (Richmond, Va./Varina) relieved senior starter Cody Eppley (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York), and JMU sophomore Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) drew an eight-pitch walk to bring in a run. However, Deane recovered to strikeout consecutive batters to retire the side, and the Dukes went down in order in the ninth on three groundouts.

Eppley improved to 5-4 for VCU, allowing four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. Deane earned his first save of the season with 1 2/3 scoreless frames.

Sophomore Kyle Hoffman (Reading, Pa./Twin Valley) lasted seven innings and saw his record fall to 6-3 after allowing six runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Redshirt senior Trevor Kaylid (Cary, N.C./Green Hope) worked two scoreless innings, running his current streak to eight innings without a run allowed.

Redshirt sophomore Steven Caseres (New City, N.Y./St. Joseph R