Dukes Take Series Against Quinnipiac Behind 11-Run Seventh

Sunday, March 6

Harrisonburg, Va.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

8-4

Quinnipiac

2-7

Quinnipiac

James Madison

Dukes Take Series Against Quinnipiac Behind 11-Run Seventh

3/6/2022 6:14:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The James Madison baseball team sent 14 batters to the plate and pushed across 11 runs in the seventh inning along to take down Quinnipiac, 19-1, and earn the series victory on Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Dukes move to 8-4 and are off to their best 12-game start since the 2019 season. The Bobcats fall to 2-7.

Redshirt senior Liam McDonnell picked up his third win of the year, starting and going five scoreless innings while striking out a season-high tying five. At the plate, redshirt sophomore Mason Dunaway led the charge, going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, three runs scored, and three RBI's. The three hits and runs tie career-highs for Dunaway.

How It Happened
The Dukes struck first in the fourth, scoring on a fielder's choice after Dunaway led off with a single and moved to third on a successful hit and run. JMU then tacked on three more runs in the fourth to make it 4-0. Sophomore Jalen Buster hit his first career home run, while redshirt junior Kyle Novak and redshirt sophomore Jacob Steinberg provided an RBI single and double, respectively.

The Dukes increased their lead to eight in the sixth on a Dunaway two-run double, a wild pitch, and an RBI groundout from Steinberg. Quinnipiac was able to get a run back in the seventh to make it 8-1.

JMU would respond in a big way in the home half of the seventh by scoring 11 runs, the first time the Dukes have scored double digits in an inning since scoring 11 in the third against Longwood on April 26, 2017.

After loading the bases, redshirt junior Trevon Dabney would drive in a run on a hit by pitch. Dunaway then knocked in his third RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly, before Novak would smack a single to center with two on. The center fielder though misfielded the ball and allowed it to roll all the way to the warning track, which gave Buster, Dabney, and Novak all time to come around and score.

Freshman Ryan Dooley then stepped up with the score 13-1 and doubled down the line before being brought home by redshirt junior Carson Bell on a single. Freshman Casey Smith would double as well and score Bell, with Dabney capping off the inning with a grand slam to make it 19-1. The grand slam is Dabney's second of the season, becoming the 11^th Duke to accomplish the feat and first since Jake Lowery in 2011. The slam was also the team's fourth of the year, the first time a team has hit that many since 2006 and sixth time overall.

Up Next
The Dukes begin a stretch of 11 road games in their next 13 games, beginning with a two-game series against No. 17 Tennessee in Knoxville. Game one is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 at 6:30 p.m.

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Next Event

Tennessee

L, 8-9

Mar 8 (Tue)

6 p.m.

Box Score Recap JMU Game Notes Watch Live stats History

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: McDonnell, Liam (3-0)

L: Ulsh, Mason (0-1)

Quinnipiac

Batting:

2B: Melnick, Danny 1 ; O'Connor, Keegan 1 ; Thomas, Zak 1

RBI: Donofrio, Anthony 1

SH: LaChance, Sam 1

SF: Donofrio, Anthony 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Thomas, Zak 1

CS: Swenson, Sean 1

HBP: O'Connor, Keegan 1 ; LaChance, Sam 1

James Madison

Batting:

2B: Dunaway, Mason 2 ; Steinberg, Jacob 1 ; Dooley, Ryan 1 ; Smith, Casey 1

HR: Dabney, Trevon 1 ; Buster, Jalen 1

RBI: Dabney, Trevon 5 ; Dunaway, Mason 3 ; Novak, Kyle 2 ; Steinberg, Jacob 2 ; Bell, Carson 2 ; Smith, Casey 1 ; Buster, Jalen 1

SF: Dunaway, Mason 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Dabney, Trevon 3 ; Dunaway, Mason 3 ; Novak, Kyle 2 ; Dooley, Ryan 1 ; Bell, Carson 1 ; Trimble, Fenwick 1 ; Painter, Grant 1 ; Smith, Casey 3 ; Buster, Jalen 3 ; Calabrese, Coleman 1