JMU AND VCU SPLIT CAA BASEBALL DOUBLEHEADER FRIDAY

Friday, May 21

Richmond, Va.

4:00 PM

James Madison University

27-21, 16-6

VCU

31-21-1, 16-5-1

James Madison

VCU

5/21/2010 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

RICHMOND, Va., May 21, 2010 - James Madison claimed the second game of a doubleheader 11-8 after dropping the opener to VCU 6-1 in a Colonial Athletic Association baseball series on Friday at The Diamond.

With the split, the teams set up a game-three showdown for the regular season title in the CAA at 4 p.m. on Saturday. JMU stands at 17-6 in the league, 28-21 overall for the season. VCU is a half-game back at 16-6-1 in the CAA and 31-22-1 overall.

Game Two: James Madison 11, VCU 8

In the second game, the Dukes used a five-run second inning to grab the early lead at 5-2. JMU added two in the third then tacked on key insurance runs three consecutive innings in the fifth, sixth, and seventh en route to the 11-8 victory.

Junior left-hander Alex Valadja (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) worked 5 1/3 effective innings to improve to 3-5. He allowed five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts. Sophomore Josh Futter (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake) allowed just one run on one hit through his first three innings before VCU struck for an additional two runs on two hits in the ninth. Junior Kevin Munson (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) posted the final two outs for his ninth save.

JMU head coach Spanky McFarland stated of the key performances by Valadja and Futter, "Around the third inning Alex got back into his tendency of throwing everything the same speed with his hard breaking ball, change up, and fastball. There wasn't much difference between the pitches. Finally he started throwing the big curve ball and he started having some more success. I think he learned something. Hopefully that will help him down the road too. Futter got his ground balls. A few got up in the air and we were in position to catch them."

Starter Ryan Farrar took the loss for the Rams after allowing seven runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings. Josh Alford allowed the other four runs before Jonathan Watson and Kyle Pelchy worked a combined 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Seniors Matt Townsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield) and Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) had three hits apiece to pace JMU's 15-hit attack. Townsend, the right fielder, had a double, two runs, and an RBI. Fabiaschi, the second baseman, had three singles, a run, and two RBIs.

Redshirt junior first baseman Trevor Knight (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield) smacked a three-run home run for the Dukes. Senior left fielder/third baseman Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch), junior shortstop David Herbek (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield), and freshman center fielder Johnny Bladel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) had two hits each.

Richard Gonzalez was the table setter in the second spot, going 3-for-4 with three runs, a walk, and an RBI. Third baseman Joe Van Meter had two hits with a triple, two runs, and three RBIs. Brent Mikionis had two hits and three RBIs as the two-three-four part of the lineup combined for seven of VCU's 11 hits and all seven RBIs.

McFarland commented on facing the key second, third, and fourth hitters in the VCU lineup, saying, "Gonzalez is the key. He battles and gets on base. He makes you work. Every at bat is four, five, six, or even seven pitches. He can steal too so you have to worry about that. Then you have Van Meter who can hit. Mikionis behind him isn't quite as good as Van Meter but he can hit too. The key is Gonzalez. We have to keep him off the bases