Dukes Sweep Towson in Doubleheader

Sunday, May 8

Towson, Md.

12 p.m.

James Madison University

25-20, 10-6

Towson

10-35, 1-15

James Madison

Towson University

5/8/2022 5:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

TOWSON, Md. – After inclement weather postponed games on Friday and Saturday, James Madison baseball swept Towson in a doubleheader, 4-2 and 5-4, at John B. Schuerholz Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Dukes move to 26-20, 11-6 while the Tigers fall to 10-36, 1-16.

Graduate student Justin Showalter started the first game, striking out eight on his way to the seven-inning complete game. Sophomore Ryan Murphy earned the win in game two, tossing five innings of relief and striking out five.

Game One
Towson got out to an early 2-0 lead after three innings of play with a run in the first and a run in the third. The Dukes got on the board in the fourth, scoring a run to make it 2-1 on a balk. The Dukes then added three runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. With two outs and two on, redshirt junior Travis Reifsnider tied the game with an infield single that allowed freshman Jason Schiavone to score on the ensuing throwing error. Freshman Fenwick Trimble then singled in redshirt junior Kyle Novak before Reifsnider came around to cross the plate on another Towson throwing error.

Showalter scattered four hits in his outing, his second career complete game. He retired nine out of the last 10 batters he faced, with the lone batter to reach getting on by an error. The last hit he gave up was with one out in the fourth inning, as he kept the Tigers off the scoreboard in the last four innings to secure the game one win.

Game Two
The Tigers scored three runs in the first inning, with the Dukes responding the very next inning on redshirt sophomore Mason Dunaway's third homer of the season and an RBI single off the bat of redshirt junior Nick Zona for a 3-2 game.

Towson scored another run in the bottom half of the second, but once again JMU quickly responded with a home run and a single, this time from the bats of Reifsnider and Dunaway, respectively.

In the fifth inning with the game knotted at four, Dunaway picked up his third RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to score Novak and give the Dukes a 5-4 lead. It was the only one they needed, as Murphy tossed five scoreless innings while scattering three singles to keep the home bats silent. He picked up his fourth win of the season, as redshirt junior Eli Ottinger worked scoreless eighth and ninth innings to earn his third save of the season.

Game Notes

Justin Showalter's complete game is the first shortened complete game a Duke has thrown since Kevin Kelly's eight-inning complete game in 2018 against the College of Charleston.
The Dukes have now won 10 straight overall against Towson.

Up Next
The Dukes have the week off before hitting the road to take on Hofstra for their final road series of the season. The series is scheduled for May 13-15, with game one starting at 3 p.m. on Friday.