Big Third Inning Leads JMU to First Ever Home Series Win Against Charleston

Saturday, April 3

Harrisonburg, Va.

5 p.m.

James Madison University

5-6, 2-0

College of Charleston

8-13, 4-4

Charleston

James Madison

Big Third Inning Leads JMU to First Ever Home Series Win Against Charleston

4/3/2021 9:37:00 PM | Baseball

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HARRISONBURG, Va. – The James Madison baseball team (5-6, 2-0 Colonial Athletic Association) hung a six-spot on the scoreboard in the third inning to lead them to a 7-4 win over College of Charleston (8-13, 4-4 CAA) on Saturday evening at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park. The win gave the Dukes a series win, the first at home against Charleston in program history.

Redshirt junior Anthony Piccolino picked up his first career win, throwing four and a third innings of relief, while Lliam Grubbs earned his third save of the season. Redshirt junior Michael Morgan led the Dukes at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI's.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cougars got out to a hot start, opening up the scoring by scoring three runs in the first on a single and two sacrifice flies. The Dukes responded with their own sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning from Kyle Novak to make it 3-1. Charleston pushed their lead back to three on a solo home run in the third inning.

The Dukes responded in the home half of the third in a big way, as redshirt freshman Chase DeLauter led off the inning with a triple. Novak would pick up his second RBI of the game as he scored DeLauter on a fielder's choice two batters later for a 4-2 score. Morgan then stepped up two batters later to tie the game at four as he hit a single up the middle to score Novak and Trevon Dabney, who reached on a walk.

After a Cougars pitching change, a single, and a fielder's choice, Fox Semones stepped into the batter's box and gave JMU a 5-4 lead on a double down the left field line. Redshirt sophomore Nick Zona capped off the inning with a two-run single up the middle to extend the JMU lead to 7-4 and the Dukes never looked back.

The Dukes' bullpen took over the game and kept the Cougars' bats tamed, as Piccolino, Grayson Jones, and Grubbs combined for six shutout innings after the big JMU third inning. The three pitchers combined to only allow two base hits over the remaining six innings to give JMU their first series win over the Cougars since 2016 and their first ever home series win against them.

GAME NOTES

JMU leadoff hitters hit .500 for the game.
Chase DeLauter and Michael Morgan both picked up their fifth multi-hit game of the season.
This is the fifth straight game JMU has scored seven or more runs.

UP NEXT
JMU goes for the series sweep in the weekend finale tomorrow, April 4 at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.