Dukes’ Bats Come Alive Early to Take Down Cougars

Friday, April 2

Harrisonburg, Va.

3 p.m.

James Madison University

4-6, 1-0

College of Charleston

8-12, 4-3

Charleston

James Madison

4/2/2021 8:14:00 PM | Baseball

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HARRISONBURG, Va. – The James Madison baseball team (4-6, 1-0 Colonial Athletic Association) scored runs in each of the first four innings to lead them to a 9-2 win over College of Charleston (8-12, 4-3 CAA) on Friday afternoon at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park.

Redshirt junior Liam McDonnell started for JMU and went a career-high five innings to pick up his first career win. Redshirt senior Fox Semones lead the Dukes at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Dukes opened up the scoring in the first with a Travis Reifsnider two-run single through the right side after a double, a fielder's choice, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. JMU put multiple runners on again in the second and were brought in via a single and double from the bats of Kyle Novak and Conor Hartigan, respectively. The Cougars scored a run in the top of the third to make it 4-1, but JMU responded with three of their own on a Nick Zona bunt single and a two-run single from Mason Dunaway for a 7-1 lead.

The Dukes would score for the fourth consecutive inning, as Semones knocked in a double to score in Dunaway for an 8-1 lead. Charleston pushed a run across in the fifth inning, but Chase DeLauter singled in a run in the sixth to push the JMU lead back to seven runs at 9-2. Redshirt freshman Donovan Burke came in for relief in the sixth and kept the opposing bats quiet for three innings.

Charleston attempted a comeback in the ninth, pushing a run across on a groundout, but that was all they could muster. JMU would win game one of the series by the score of 9-3.

GAME NOTES

Every JMU starter recorded a hit.
The Dukes had six two-out RBI's, and hit .429 (6-14) overall with two outs.
Burke has now thrown 10 consecutive innings without allowing a run.
Burke picked off his third baserunner of the season.
Seven different Dukes knocked in a run.

UP NEXT
The Dukes return to the field tomorrow, April 3 for the middle game of the three-game series against the Cougars. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.