Baseball Drops Pair to Quinnipiac

Saturday, February 28

Harrisonburg, Va.

Noon

James Madison University

3-3

Quinnipiac

1-1

Quinnipiac

James Madison

2/28/2015 6:44:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HARRISONBURG, Va. - The James Madison baseball team combined for eight doubles on Saturday, but dropped both games of a doubleheader to Quinnipiac, 6-5 and 8-4, at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Dukes, who fell to 3-4 on the year with the pair of setbacks, threatened often in both contests, but fell short of the Bobcats, who are now 2-1 on the young season.

In the first contest, a seven-inning game as the first half of a doubleheader, Quinnipiac struck early, pushing across a run on a single and a pair of errors to take a 1-0 lead. Junior shortstop Chad Carroll responded with a leadoff double in the bottom half of the inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly from freshman center fielder Michael Sciorra to even things at 1-1.

Senior right-hander Derek Shifflett held the Bobcats silent until the fourth inning, when they took a 3-1 lead on three singles and a wild pitch, but JMU responded with a big inning of its own in the bottom half of the frame.

Sophomore third baseman Kyle Weston ripped a 2-0 pitch off the left-center field wall to lead off the inning with a double and sophomore first baseman Logan Corrigan followed immediately with a double of his own off the left field fence to cut the lead in half.

After freshman second baseman Kyle McPherson bunted Corrigan to third, sophomore left fielder Josh Wyatt singled up the middle to level the score at 3-3. Wyatt then stole second and scored after junior right fielder Tyler Carroll poked the seventh pitch of his at-bat up the middle to put JMU on top, 4-3.

The Bobcats struck back in the top of the fifth, doubling home a pair of runs with two outs, then made it 6-4 in the sixth with a bases-loaded RBI single.

Chad Carroll gave the Dukes a chance in the bottom of the seventh when he blasted his first home run of 2015 over the left field fence to cut the deficit to 6-5, but JMU would get no closer.

Shifflett took the loss, while Quinnipiac starter Thomas Jenkins went all seven innings to get the win. Carroll finished 2-for-4 with a double and his homer, while Corrigan had a 2-for-3 day with a run and an RBI.

In the second game, the Bobcats again jumped out early, scoring one in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly and two in the third with a walk, two singles and a double to make it 4-0 after three innings.

JMU pulled a pair back in the sixth after senior right fielder Kevin Husum ripped the first pitch of the frame down the left field line for a double and was driven in by Weston's single through the left side. Sophomore designated hitter Brett Johnson later blasted a line drive double to left-center to plate Weston and cut the lead to 4-2.

Both sides were quiet until the eighth, when Quinnipiac scored four runs to put the game out of reach. The Bobcats started the inning with three straight singles and, after a fielder's choice, a walk and a balk, scored two more on a single and wild pitch to make it 8-2.

The Dukes started a rally in the bottom of the ninth after freshman left fielder Adam Sisk was hit by a pitch and sophomore pinch hitter Ky Parrott walked on eight pitches. Corrigan tore a double down the right field line to score both of the runners and Chad Carroll followed him with a walk to put the tying run on deck, but JMU would get no closer.

Quinnipiac starter Justin Thomas went 6.2 innings to get the win, while junior right-hander Mark Gunst took the loss. Freshman right-hander Steven Schwartz threw four innings of hitless relief for the Dukes, while Sisk went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk in his first collegiate at-bats.

The Dukes and Bobcats will wrap up their weekend series on Sunday afternoon in Harrisonburg. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.