Dukes Fall Against Tar Heels

Saturday, February 20

Chapel Hill, N.C.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

0-2

North Carolina

2-0

James Madison

North Carolina

Photo by: JMU

2/20/2021 5:28:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The James Madison baseball team (0-2) got out to an early lead, but dropped the middle game of three to the Tar Heels, 7-4, on Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium.

Redshirt junior Nick Stewart started and went two and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs and striking out two. Redshirt sophomore Carson Bell had a career day for the Dukes, going 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI's.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The game started out quiet, with neither team able to get much across in the first two innings. The Dukes opened the scoring up in the third, as Bell drew a leadoff walk. Trevon Dabney laced a double into the left center gap that pushed Bell to third, before coming home on an error by the pitcher.

The Tar Heels (2-0) responded in their half of the third, putting a three-spot on the scoreboard by an RBI groundout and back-to-back doubles. UNC extended their lead in the fifth with a two-run homer after Caleb Roberts hit a one-out double the at-bat prior to make it a 5-1 ball game.

JMU wouldn't go down so easy though, responding with two runs in the seventh. Redshirt junior Conor Hartigan took the first pitch of the seventh to left field for a single, and advanced to third three batters later on a Fox Semones double. After a Tar Heels pitching change, Bell knocked in Hartigan and Semones to cut the deficit to two. The Dukes made it a one-run ball game an inning later, when Mason Dunaway lead the inning off with a double. Nick Zona hit a fly ball to center field that advanced to Dunaway to third, and then he touched home plate two pitches later on a passed ball to make it a 5-4 game.

The Tar Heels extended their lead in bottom of the eight, as two walks from Grayson Jones came around to score on a Roberts triple to make it a 7-4 advantage for UNC. The Dukes were able to get the tying run to the plate in the ninth, with singles from Michael Morgan and Bell, but Dunaway went down swinging to end the game.

GAME FACTS

Bell set career-highs in hits (two) and RBI's (two), and tied his career-high in runs (one).
JMU leadoff hitters went 3-for-8 with a walk.
Eli Ottinger and Andrew Weight both set career-highs in innings pitched.

UP NEXT
The Dukes are back in action tomorrow, February 21, in the series finale. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ACC Network Extra.