Dukes Take Series Finale from NJIT, 14-2

Sunday, March 19

Harrisonburg, Va.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

14-3

NJIT

3-14

NJIT

James Madison

3/19/2017 6:30:00 PM | Baseball

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HARRISONBURG, Va. – A complete performance both on the mound and at the plate gave James Madison baseball a 14-2 win over NJIT in the series finale at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Dukes, who improved to 14-4 on the year, tallied 16 hits to score double digit runs for the seventh time this season. The Highlanders fell to 3-14 on the year after JMU took three of the four games this weekend.

Redshirt senior first baseman Brett Johnson led the way offensively for JMU, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. He hit his team-leading eighth home run of the year in the fifth inning, a two-run shot to right center that gave the Dukes a 7-2 lead.

Johnson gave the Dukes their first lead of the game, hitting an RBI single through the left side in the first inning after juniors Kyle McPherson and Adam Sisk had hit singles of their own. McPherson (2-for-4) and Sisk (3-for-3) joined Johnson in having multi-hit games, in addition to freshman second baseman Fox Semones' 3-for-4 day. Sisk also drew two walks and scored a game-high four runs.

Junior right-handed pitcher Josh Silvestri (2-0) earned his second win of the season, striking out seven batters in six innings, while allowing one earned run on four hits and six walks. Sophomore Christian Bourne was effective out of the bullpen, throwing two innings of scoreless relief before junior Matt Colon closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning.

PHOTO OF THE GAME
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Brett Johnson gets some love from Volunteer Assistant Coach Daniel Bowman after one of his three hits.

LYNCH LAUNCHES ONE
JMU put the game out of reach with a six-run eighth inning, capped off by a two-run home run by junior pinch hitter Ryan Lynch. Lynch has two hits on the year, both home runs.

QUOTING COACH IKENBERRY
"I was proud of the way our guys came out today after a long day of baseball yesterday. We had a big hit from Brett, the two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to put it out of reach, and then adding a run in the sixth was huge. I was really proud of the way Josh pitched today. He didn't have his best stuff or the most command, but he battled to get us deep in the ball game. Then Christian Bourne was electric today and great for us all weekend."

UP NEXT
The Dukes travel to Lynchburg, Va. to face Liberty in a midweek clash on Tuesday, March 21 at 3 p.m.