JMU Completes Sweep at High Point

Sunday, February 18

High Point, N.C.

12 p.m.

James Madison University

2-0

High Point

0-2

James Madison

High Point

2/18/2018 9:02:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 @JMUBaseball JMU Baseball on Instagram 2018 Roster

HIGH POINT, N.C – James Madison won both games in its doubleheader against High Point, 5-1 and 4-3, respectively to complete the series sweep in non-conference baseball action at George S. Earth Field on Sunday evening.

The Dukes (3-0) never trailed for more than a half of an inning against the Panthers (0-3) this weekend, helping JMU earn its first non-conference series sweep of three or more games since the four-game sweep against Canisius on March 7-9, 2015.

GAME ONE RECAP
JMU opened the game swinging for the fences, as senior Adam Sisk and freshman Conor Hartigan hit back-to-back home runs, their first of the season, in the first inning. Hartigan finished the game going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two runs scored.

Sophomore Harry Brown hit a homerun of his own in the sixth inning, to give JMU a 3-1 lead before sophomore Fox Semones and senior Zach Tondi hit RBI-singles, respectively in the seventh and eighth inning, which led to the final score, 5-1.

Junior Dan Goggin (1-0) started on the mound for the Dukes and threw five innings, tallying three strikeouts, two walks, giving up four hits and an earned run in the win.

GAME TWO RECAP
The pitchers for both JMU and High Point controlled the game early as both teams only tallied two hits apiece going into the fourth inning with five strikeouts (Panthers 3, Dukes 2). In the fourth inning, sophomore Fox Semones scored the first run of the game from a sacrifice fly to right field by freshman Conor Hartigan.

The Panthers would answer in the fifth inning as senior Austen Zente hit a two-run homerun over the left field wall to give the Panthers their first lead of the entire series, 2-1.

Sophomore Harry Brown responded with a two-run bomb, second homerun of the season, to right field to recapture the lead, 3-2. Two batters later, freshman Michael Morgan hit a solo blast to left field, his first of the season, to increase JMU's lead, 4-2.

High Point would tack on one more run in the seventh off a sacrifice fly to the right field wall, leading to the final score, 4-3.

Freshman Nick Stewart entered the game in the first inning and threw 4.2 innings, racking up four strikeouts, two walks, giving up two hits and two earned runs to receive his first collegiate win (1-0). Freshman Nick Robertson earned the save (1) on the night, coming in the game in the ninth inning, giving up one hit and striking out the last batter he faced.

QUOTING COACH IKE
GAME ONE
"Dan Goggin did an exceptional job keeping us in the ball game on the mound. Two home runs in the first inning allowed us to get an early lead which was good. I was proud of our offense late in the game as well. Our bullpen did a fantastic job, Garrett Richards for his first time on the mound along with Bechtold and Marsili getting the final seven outs to secure the win."

GAME TWO
"Nick Stewart started his career in a very tough spot in the first inning, after coming in for Bourne, but he settled down and threw 4.2 innings of great baseball and our bullpen was electric, once again. Harry Brown had a great day at the plate, he put a good swing on the ball when we needed it. Props to Nick Robertson who came in on his first appearance to close out the game and did a great job in that role."

OVERALL
"It's tough to stay focus playing 18 innings of baseball in one day, especially this early in the season and I am proud of how our guys competed on every pitch today."

UP NEXT
James Madison will travel to in-state foe, Liberty on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. non-conference contest. Liberty swept VCU this weekend (5-4, 14-10, 4-2) to improve to 3-0 on the season.