Dukes Offense Lights Up Scoreboard But Falls in Extras

Thursday, May 20

Harrisonburg, Va.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

11-16

VCU

33-14

VCU

James Madison

5/21/2021 12:17:00 AM | Baseball

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HARRISONBURG, Va. – The James Madison baseball team (11-16) scored their most runs in over three years and came back from an eight-run deficit, but fell in 10 innings to VCU (33-14), 20-18, on Thursday night at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park.

Classmates Kyle Novak and Carson Bell led the Dukes' offense, both going 4-for-6 with Novak scoring four runs and Bell scoring three. Novak connected on a home run and drove in three while Bell drove in one.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The game got off to a rough start for the Dukes, as VCU scored five runs in the first. The Dukes answered quickly though, making it a one-run game after scoring four in the bottom half of the inning. Chase DeLauter led off with a home run before Bell and Mason Dunaway connected for run scoring hits to make it 5-4. The Rams strung together seven runs over the next three innings to take a 12-4 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.

JMU looked to answer and get back in the game as they racked up five runs in the fourth to make it 12-9. After a wild pitch put runners on second and third, Novak singled through the right side to score two. A Bell single the next at bat was followed by a two-run double from Michael Morgan, who was then knocked in by Brady Harju.

The Dukes then began to chip at the lead more as Conor Hartigan connected on his fifth home run of the season to make it a one-run game at 12-11 in the fifth. The Dukes then tied the game, took the lead, and extended their lead with the help of hits and errors. Trevon Dabney led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and came around to score to tie the game on an errant throw on an attempt to get DeLauter out on an infield single. DeLauter then stole third and came home to give JMU its first lead of the game on a wild throw from the catcher. Novak then hit a home run for a 14-12 lead.

The Dukes were able to stay in the game as Matt Kleinfelter came in to pitch and kept zeros on the board for VCU in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings after they scored in each of the first four innings.

The Rams then tied it with two runs in the eighth to make it 14-all, but the Dukes answered with back-to-back hits from Nick Zona and DeLauter to retake the lead at 16-14. In the top of the ninth, the Rams were able to put runners on second and third and were down to their last strike. A questionable call extended the at bat and allowed the bases to be loaded for a VCU grand slam that gave them back an 18-16 lead. The Dukes didn't go away easy though, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth on a Dunaway single to tied it at 18 all and force extra innings.

VCU would score two in the top of the tenth and send the Dukes down in order in the bottom half of the inning to win 20-18.

GAME NOTES

Five different Dukes had three or more hits.
Every JMU starter registered a hit.
Five different Dukes also scored multiple runs.
The final score was the most combined runs in a JMU game since a 20-19 loss to William & Mary on May 23, 2013.
The Dukes hit .471 (8-for-17) with two outs and 11 of their 16 RBI's were with two outs.

UP NEXT
The Dukes wrap up their season with a 6 p.m. matchup tomorrow, May 21 against VCU at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park.

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Next Event

VCU

L, 1-10

May 21 (Fri)

6 p.m.

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Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: DAVIS, Tyler (9-1)

L: Landess, Sam (1-1)

VCU

Batting:

2B: LOCKLEAR, Tyler 1 ; HIBBITS, Liam 1 ; AMISS, Logan 1

3B: HENSON, Brandon 1

HR: LOCKLEAR, Tyler 1 ; VAY, Hunter 1

RBI: CARPENTER, Steven 1 ; LOCKLEAR, Tyler 6 ; HENSON, Brandon 2 ; HIBBITS, Liam 2 ; VAY, Hunter 6 ; AMISS, Logan 1 ; HUJSAK, Connor 2

SF: CARPENTER, Steven 1 ; HENSON, Brandon 1

Base Running:

RUNS: CARPENTER, Steven 2 ; LOCKLEAR, Tyler 3 ; HENSON, Brandon 1 ; HIBBITS, Liam 1 ; SCHROEDER, Jack 3 ; VAY, Hunter 3 ; AMISS, Logan 3 ; HUJSAK, Connor 2 ; BROWN, Hogan 2

SB: SCHROEDER, Jack 1 ; HUJSAK, Connor 2 ; BROWN, Hogan 2

HBP: CARPENTER, Steven 1 ; LOCKLEAR, Tyler 1 ; AMISS, Logan 1 ; BROWN, Hogan 2

James Madison

Batting:

2B: DeLauter, Chase 1 ; Morgan, Michael 1 ; Harju, Brady 1 ; Dunaway, Mason 1

HR: DeLauter, Chase 1 ; Hartigan, Conor 1 ; Novak, Kyle 1

RBI: DeLauter, Chase 2 ; Hartigan, Conor 2 ; Novak, Kyle 3 ; Bell, Carson 1 ; Morgan, Michael 2 ; Harju, Brady 1 ; Dunaway, Mason 4 ; Zona, Nick 1

SH: Dunaway, Mason 1 ; Zona, Nick 2

Base Running:

RUNS: DeLauter, Chase 3 ; Hartigan, Conor 2 ; Novak, Kyle 4 ; Bell, Carson 3 ; Morgan, Michael 1 ; Jackson, Dallas 1 ; Dabney, Trevon 3 ; Zona, Nick 1