HUSKIES TAKE FINALE OVER DUKES 2-1

Sunday, March 22

Harrisonburg, Va.

1:00 PM

James Madison University

14-9, 2-1

Northeastern

10-7, 1-2

Northeastern

James Madison

3/22/2009 4:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., March 22, 2009 ? Les Williams and Trevor Smith held James Madison in check as Northeastern claimed the Colonial Athletic Association series finale 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at sunny Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

NU improved to 10-7 overall and 1-2 in the CAA. JMU dropped to 14-9 overall and 2-1 in the league. The Dukes took two out of three in the weekend set.

Williams started for the Huskies and went 5 1/3 innings while limiting the Dukes to one run on four hits with three strikeouts and five walks. Smith earned the victory in relief, holding JMU scoreless on three hits with four strikeouts while improving to 1-1.

The loss came despite one of the best outings of the season from freshman right-hander Evan Scott (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield), who held Northeastern to one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks. Senior Justin Wood (Dayton, Va./Turner Ashby) took the loss after leaving with the eventual go-ahead run on base. Redshirt sophomore Trevor Knight (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield) allowed the inherited run to score while pitching the final 1 1/3 innings with two strikeouts.

The Huskies had just six hits for the third straight game in the series, but they came at key moments. James Donaldson hit a solo home run that just barely made it over the fence in the third inning. Frank Pesanello hit an RBI double in the eighth. David Gustafson was 2-for-4.

Junior right fielder Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) continued his torrid hitting with a pair of doubles to give him 12 on the season. He also drove in a run and walked once. Browning has recorded multiple hits in eight consecutive games. Junior second baseman Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) also had two hits.

For the second straight day, the JMU bats were held at bay until the sixth when Knight got things started with a walk. He move