STETSON HOLDS ON FOR 3-2 BASEBALL WIN OVER JMU

Tuesday, March 9

Deland, Fla.

6:30 PM

James Madison University

3-5

Stetson

4-8

James Madison

Stetson

3/10/2010 3:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

DELAND, Fla., March 9, 2010 - Stetson grabbed an early 3-1 lead through two innings and held on for the 3-2 baseball victory over James Madison on Tuesday evening at Melching Field.

Stetson improved to 4-8 overall while JMU dropped to 3-5 on the season. The Dukes took three of four in DeLand last season.

"We played well and hit the ball hard all over the field, but they made a few great catches," commented JMU head coach Spanky McFarland "At the same time, they found some holes and dropped some balls in those holes. That's just baseball. They made two catches on the fly right at the wall while smacking into it. Both of them would have been runs. We pitched well and played great defense. We played well enough to win. The breaks just didn't go our way."

Will Dorsey earned the victory for the Hatters with two runs allowed on nine hits in eight innings with seven strikeouts. Justin Dechert had one strikeout in the ninth to pick up the save.

Junior Turner Phelps (Roanoke, Va./Lord Botetourt) fell to 0-2 on the season after allowing three runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Junior Kevin Munson (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) went the final 1 2/3 with one strikeout and no hits allowed.

Freshman Johnny Bladel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) batted in the leadoff spot for the first time and responded by going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Redshirt senior Matt Townsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield) had two hits.

Right fielder Sean Emory drove in two runs with a pair of hits for the Hatters. Left fielder Jeff Simpson and designated hitter Aaron Crittendon also had two hits each. First baseman Kurt Schulter had a solo home run.

The Hatters posted a pair of runs in the first to grab the early lead. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. After a foul flyout to first base, Emory singled through the right side to drive in two runs.

JMU earned one back in the second as redshirt junior Trevor Knight (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield) led off with a double and junior shortstop David Herbek (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) walked. Senior second baseman Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) bunted both into scoring position before a groundout by junior third baseman McKinnon Langston (Tallahassee, Fla./North Florida Chrstian) scored Knight.

A leadoff home run to left by Schluter regained the two-run lead for Stetson in the second.

That margin held until the fifth when JMU collected three doubles, the last occurring on a drive down the left-field line by senior left fielder Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) to score a run. However, a double play in the inning prevented any further damage.

JMU had runners reach scoring position at second base in each the eighth and ninth innings but could not drive in the tying run.

JMU will be off Wednesday before returning to action in the Kennel Club Classic at North Florida, facing the host Ospreys at 1 p.m. That is a change from the originally scheduled time of 7 p.m.