Dukes Come Away with Doubleheader Split Against UMass Lowell

Saturday, March 4

Harrisonburg, Va.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

6-3

UMass Lowell

0-7

UMass Lowell

James Madison

Dukes Come Away with Doubleheader Split Against UMass Lowell

3/4/2023 7:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HARRISONBURG, Va. – After Friday's series opener was postponed and moved to a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, James Madison baseball split the two games with UMass Lowell at Veterans Memorial Park to open the three-game series of non-conference action. JMU took game one, 11-5, before falling in game two, 5-1.

The Dukes move to 6-4, having their winning streak extended to six after game one before the River Hawks snapped it by winning their first game of the year to move to 1-7.

Freshman Jaden Kinsler earned his first career win in game one behind three innings of relief, striking out four while scattering two hits and giving up two runs. Redshirt junior Hunter Entsminger earned the save by following Kinsler's three innings with three of his own. Redshirt senior Trevon Dabney, redshirt junior Jacob Steinberg and freshman Mike Mancini all recorded hits in both contests of the day.

Game One
UMass Lowell jumped out to an early lead, using a two-run homer in the first inning and an RBI single in the second for a 3-0 lead. The Dukes responded with three straight of their own, scoring two in the home half of the second before sophomore Fenwick Trimble homered for the third straight game to tie the game at three in the third. Trimble is the first Duke to homer in three straight since Adam Sisk did so from May 9-13, 2017.

The visitors used a double and a single in the top of the fourth to quickly retake the lead at 5-3. In the bottom of the fourth however, the Dukes batted around and scored seven runs in the frame to take a 10-5 lead. Back-to-back bases loaded hit by pitches tied the game before an infield single with an error allowed two runs to score for a 7-5 lead. A wild pitch allowed another run to score before Dabney and Steinberg followed with an RBI double and an RBI single, respectively.

Novak laced a double down the right field line to plate one and give JMU an 11-5 lead to use for the game one victory.

Game Two
The second game of the day started much like the first game where the River Hawks scored first to take an early lead. A sacrifice fly in the second inning was followed by a three-run homer in the third to give the visitors a 4-0 lead.

The Dukes were able to get a run back in the sixth, using their own sacrifice fly from graduate Jack Cone to score freshman Wyatt Peifer to make it 4-1. A wild pitch in the eighth inning gave the run back though, allowing UML to go up 5-1. The hosts didn't go down without a fight, loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate with one down.

UMass Lowell starter Matt Draper used a pair of strikeouts though to get out of the jam, capping a complete game gem where he walked one and scattered five hits while striking out 11 to secure the split.

Game Notes

Game one's win marks the fifth time out of six wins that the Dukes have trailed and come back to win.
Kyle Novak and Jacob Steinberg both went 3-for-5 in game one, marking Steinberg's second three-hit game of the season.
Trevon Dabney was the only Duke to record multiple hits in both games, going 2-for-4 with a double and RBI and two runs scored in game one and 2-for-4 in game two.
Six of the seven runs in the big fourth inning for JMU in the first game came with two outs.

Up Next
The Dukes will close out their final non-conference home series of the season with the rubber match against UMass Lowell on Sunday, March 5 at Veterans Memorial Park with a 1 p.m. start.