JMU BASEBALL TOPS TOWSON 7-3 ON SENIOR DAY

Saturday, May 14

Harrisonburg, Va.

4:00 p.m.

James Madison University

33-17, 17-9

Towson

25-25-1, 14-12

Towson

James Madison

5/14/2011 11:08:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va., May 14, 2011 - Senior shortstop David Herbek (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) hit a go-ahead home run and two James Madison pitchers combined to limit Towson to six hits in a 7-3 victory in a Colonial Athletic Association baseball game on Saturday afternoon at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial park.

JMU won its sixth straight CAA game to improve to 17-9 in the league and 33-17 overall. Towson fell to 25-25-1 overall with its fourth straight loss. The Tigers also fell to 14-12 in the league and down to fifth place in the standings. JMU remained in second place in the conference, one game behind leader Old Dominion and two games ahead of third-place UNC Wilmington.

Honored before the game as part of senior recognition, Herbek went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. His two-run home run in the sixth broke a 2-2 tie and the Dukes maintained the lead the rest of the way, adding three insurance runs in the seventh. Herbek's home run came with the green light, swinging away on a three-ball, no-strike pitch.

Junior Evan Scott (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) improved to 3-3 after allowing two runs on five hits in six innings with six strikeouts. Hurt throughout the season by walks, Scott did not issue any free bases for the first time this season. JMU pitchers did not issue a walk for the third time this season, all in the last seven games.

Sophomore D.J. Brown (Locust Grove, Va./Orange County) pitched the last three innings to post his second save of the season. He allowed one run on one hit with three strikeouts.

Sophomore left fielder Johnny Bladel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs for JMU. Junior catcher Jake Lowery (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) was walked twice and hit a two-run double, his 19^th two bagger of the season and 49^th extra-base hit.

Freshman Chris Acker suffered his first loss of the season for Towson to drop to 4-1 after allowing four runs on five hits in five innings. Shortstop Nick Natoli hit a two-run home run for Towson. First baseman Austin Harclerode had a pair of hits with a double.

JMU put its first two batters of the game on base with a Bladel single and a Lowery four-pitch walk. Herbek lined a single to left to plate Bladel for the early lead.

Scott faced the minimum for the Tigers until the ninth batter, left fielder Dominic Fratantuono, doubled to left with two outs in the third. Natoli followed that with a two-run shot to left to give Towson its first lead of the series.

The Towson lead lasted until the fifth as freshman designated hitter Ty McFarland (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) led off with a walk and sophomore second baseman Bradley Shaban (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) singled with an advance on the throw to put two in scoring position. McFarland was retired at home on a grounder but sophomore right fielder Cole McInturff (Centreville, Va./Westfield) then laid down a perfect bunt to third base to score Shaban for the tying run at 2-2.

As has been the case for much of the second half of the season, Towson pitched around Lowery for a leadoff walk in the sixth. Herbek then lined a senior day homer to left for a 4-2 JMU lead and what proved to be the game winner. It was his 14^th of the season and first since April 10.

Towson's Andrew Parker was hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh and designated hitter Ben Winter doubled him in to make it 4-3.

The JMU offense opened things up in the se