HARRISONBURG, Va. – Sophomore
Ryan Dooley knocked in seven runs and classmate
Fenwick Trimble had his first career multi-home run game to help elevate James Madison baseball on Saturday evening to a 13-2 win over Louisiana at Veterans Memorial Park to clinch the series.
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The Dukes improve to 22-16 and 7-8 in Sun Belt Conference play while the Ragin' Cajuns fall to 26-14, 10-7 SBC.
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Freshman
Jaden Kinsler earned his second win of the year behind a career-high 4.2 innings out of the bullpen while tying his career-high in strikeouts with four. Dooley (3-for-4, a double, a home run, two runs scored and seven RBI's) and Trimble (4-for-5, two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI's) both tied career-highs in hits to lead JMU at the dish.
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How It Happened
First Inning
The Cajuns struck first after a double and a walk put two on with two outs. Julian Brock then doubled into the right center field gap to score Heath Hood for a 1-0 lead, but Conor Higgs was thrown out at the plate on a relay from the outfield to end the inning.
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Third Inning
JMU took the lead and never looked back after scoring seven runs in the third. It began by Trimble hitting his league leading 18
th double of the season to score redshirt junior
Mason Dunaway to tie the game. Three batters later, Trimble would score to give the Dukes the lead on a
Kyle Novak single. After a walk to load the bases, Dooley cleared the bases with a double into left center. Freshman
Wyatt Peifer followed with his own double to trade places with Dooley before graduate
Jack Cone capped the scoring with a single up the middle.
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Fourth Inning
UL got a run back the following inning on a single and were able to load the bases, but sophomore
Todd Mozoki induced a fly ball to get out of the jam and keep it 7-2. Mozoki got the start and went 4.1 innings with two strikeouts.
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Dooley and Trimble both homered in a five-run fourth for JMU, with Trimble leading off the inning with his 10
th homer of the season that rang off the left center light pole. Dooley found himself in the batter's box with the bases loaded again and this time hit a grand slam to make it 12-2.
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Fifth Inning
Trimble sent the first pitch he saw in the fifth into the opposing bullpen in right field for his second homer of the night. The two home run game marked the first of Virginia Beach, Va. native's career.
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Game Notes
- With 11 home runs and 18 doubles on the year, Fenwick Trimble is the first Duke to have double digits in both categories in the same season since Adam Sisk (10 doubles, 11 homers) and Brett Johnson (11 doubles, 11 home runs) did it in 2017.
- The seven RBI's for Ryan Dooley are a career-high and the most for a Dukes since Chase DeLauter had eight against VMI on March 1 last season.
- The Dukes hit 6-for-12 with two outs and six of the seven runs in the third inning came with two down.
- Mike Mancini drew his 31st walk of the season, the most walks drawn by a Duke since 2017. It also makes back-to-back seasons the Dukes have had individual 30-walk seasons after Trevon Dabney's 30 a season ago. The last time that happened was 2016 and 2017 when Ky Parrott (61 walks) and Brett Johnson (32 walks) predated Adam Sisk and Parrott (32 walks each).
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Up Next
The Dukes will go for the sweep over Louisiana at Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday, April 23 with a 1 p.m. start. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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