Late Push Not Enough as JMU Drops Series Opener to High Point Friday Afternoon

Friday, March 6

High Point, N.C.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

7-5

High Point

6-7

James Madison

High Point

Late Push Not Enough as JMU Drops Series Opener to High Point Friday Afternoon

3/6/2020 7:58:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The JMU baseball team (7-5) was able to cut into the deficit in the ninth inning, but it wasn't enough to bring down High Point as they fell in the series opener, 11-7, on Friday afternoon.

Junior Nick Stewart started for the Dukes and went three and two-thirds innings. Senior Garrett Richards tossed a perfect inning of relief.

Sophomore Kyle Novak lead the offense for the Dukes, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk, and an RBI. Senior Kyle Hayes, in his second game of the season, went 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Dukes scored first, putting two runs on the board in the first. After Conor Hartigan and Novak reached on a walk and a single, respectively, Brady Harju knocked in Novak for the first run of the game. One batter later, Fox Semones dropped a sacrifice bunt to score Hartigan.

High Point would respond by scoring seven runs before JMU would get back on the board, scoring a run in the fifth to make the score 7-3. The Panthers would score twice in the sixth to lead 9-3, before JMU scored again off senior Kyle Hayes' first career home run. High Point would then score two more in the bottom of the seventh to take a 11-4 lead going into the eighth.

The Dukes wouldn't go down easy though, as they pushed a run across in the eighth on a Carson Bell RBI single. Then in the ninth, Matt Dipasupil and Chase DeLauter lead off the inning with back-to-back singles. Travis Reifsnider reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners with one out for Novak. Novak would single through the right side to score Dipasupil, and then Reifsnider would score on a wild pitch to make the score 11-7. However, that would be the closest JMU would get, dropping the contest 11-7.

GAME FACTS
» Four JMU hitters had multiple base knocks in the ballgame.
» JMU went 4-for-12 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Nick Zona had a 10-game hit streak halted.
» The Dukes drew five walks from High Point pitching.
» This is only the second game of the year where the Dukes did not steal a base.

UP NEXT
JMU will return to action tomorrow for game two of the series against High Point. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.