Late Scoring Fells JMU 7-5 at UNCW

Saturday, April 15

Wilmington, N.C.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

18-16, 3-8

UNCW

15-18, 4-4

James Madison

UNCW

4/15/2017 10:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score @JMUBaseball Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A two-run double by UNCW in the eighth inning proved the difference in Saturday's Colonial Athletic Association baseball action as James Madison fell 7-5.

JMU trailed 5-3 after a four-run Seahawk sixth inning, but battled back to a 5-5 tie off a Mike Sciorra homerun (7th) and a Zach Tondi RBI foul out (8th) that scored DaVonn Griffin on a tag up. The Seahawks capitalized in the bottom half of the eighth on a double that cleared the bases, which the Dukes were unable to match in the ninth.

The Dukes dropped to 18-16 overall with a 3-8 CAA mark while the Seahawks improved to 15-18 with a 4-4 league record. UNCW's Cota Clark was credited with the victory, his first of the year, while JMU's Kevin Kelly (4-2) was tabbed with the loss.

HIGHLIGHT| Sciorra gets his 5th HR of the season in T7 #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/DkpMnl28Gb
— JMU Baseball (@JMUBaseball) April 15, 2017

JMU struck first when shortstop Kyle McPherson singled to center field in the top of the first, bringing left fielder Ky Parrott in to score after his game-opening walk. UNCW responded in the bottom half of the frame when Casey Golden singled to left center and stole second before capitalizing on a wild pitch for two bases.

Both teams posted zeroes in the run column across the second and third innings before JMU took its only lead of the afternoon when catcher Ryan Coale singled down the left field line, plating McPherson and first baseman Brett Johnson.

T4| Coale singles down the LF line to score McPherson & Johnson, giving JMU a 3-1 lead at UNCW! #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/sAKA3zffZb
— JMU Baseball (@JMUBaseball) April 15, 2017

KEEP LOOKING
Of UNCW's seven strikeouts on Saturday, five came with Seahawks left looking.

DUCKS ON THE POND
JMU left seven runners on base and UNCW stranded five in the afternoon's meeting. The Dukes, however, hit .375 with runners in scoring position (3-8) while the Seahawks hit just .143 with runners in scoring position (1-7).

Adam Sisk & Kyle McPherson each come away with 2 hits while Mike Sciorra gets his 5th HR on the year #GoDukes
— JMU Baseball (@JMUBaseball) April 15, 2017

UP NEXT
The Dukes and Seahawks close out the weekend series with a 2 p.m. first pitch on Sunday, April 16 in Wilmington, N.C. UNCW has won the first two meetings of the stand.