JMU OPENS CAA TOURNAMENT WITH 8-7 WIN OVER UNCW

Thursday, May 27

Wilmington, N.C.

7:00 PM

James Madison University

30-21

UNCW

30-26

UNC Wilmington

James Madison

5/28/2010 2:14:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C., May 27, 2010 -Redshirt senior designated hitter Brett Garner's (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) two-run double capped a four-run seventh inning as James Madison rallied for an 8-7 victory over UNC Wilmington in the opening round of the Colonial Athletic Association Baseball Championship Thursday night.

JMU trailed 7-4 before using four hits, two walks and a hit batsman during the decisive rally. Garner's bases-loaded drive went off the fence in the right field after senior second baseman Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single. Dukes' junior closer Kevin Munson (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) then overcame what had been a slow start for the CAA pitcher of the year to shut out the host Seahawks over the final two innings to post his eighth win of the season.

The victory sends 30-21 and top-seeded JMU into Friday's 3:30 p.m. winners' bracket game where the Dukes will face third-seeded VCU. VCU (32-23-1) advanced with a 7-4 win over second-seeded Georgia State in Thursday's first game. Fourth-seeded UNC Wilmington (30-26) and Georgia State (34-22-1) will play in Friday's noon losers' bracket game.

The winners of Friday's 3:30 p.m. game will advance to Saturday's championship round. The winner of the noon game and the loser of the 3:30 p.m. game will meet at 7 p.m. Friday with that survivor moving on to Saturday's championship round.

Junior shortstop David Herbek (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) was hit by a pitch to start Thursday's four-run JMU seventh. He advanced on a single by senior right fielder Matt Townsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield) but was called at the plate on freshman center fielder Johnny Bladel's (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) single to right field. Fabiaschi delivered his two-run single after freshman pinch hitter Matt Tenaglia (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) walked to load the bases; and after an intentional walk to redshirt junior first baseman Trevor Knight (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield), Garner put the Dukes in front to stay.

Garner and Fabiaschi each finished with two hits for the Dukes, who had 10 hits overall and received 10 walks. Garner walked twice to go with his two hits while redshirt senior right fielder Matt Townsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield) singled and walked three times to reach base on four occasions.

JMU pitchers surrendered nine hits, walked six and hit four batters.

Munson entered the game with one out in the sixth inning and went the rest of the way for the Dukes. He allowed three runs and three hits while walking three, striking out three and hitting two batters. He improved to 8-1 after relieving junior right-hander Turner Phelps (Roanoke, Va./Lord Botetourt), who started and worked 5 1/3 innings.

UNC Wilmington scored twice in the top of the first on a pair of doubles and a JMU error. Senior shortstop Michael Rooney (Cary, N.C./Cary) led off with a double to the left field corner and junior catcher Cody Stanley (Clinton, N.C./Clinton) followed with a double to right center to produce the first run. Stanley went to third on a fly out; and after a walk to the inning's fourth hitter, he scored when Knight didn't handle freshman designated hitter Hunter Ridge's (Asheboro, N.C./SW Randolph) liner that could have been converted into an inning-ending double play.

JMU put runners on base during each of the first four innings with three hits and three bases on balls without scoring before breaking through for three runs to take a 3-2 l