Four-Run App State Third Inning Downs Dukes in Opener

Friday, April 28

Boone, N.C.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

23-18, 0

App State

20-18, 0

James Madison

App State

4/28/2023 11:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BOONE, N.C. – App State turned a 2-1 score into 6-1 after a four-run third inning as James Madison baseball fell, 10-6, in the series opener on Friday night at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium after the start of the game was pushed back an hour due to rain.

The Dukes fell to 23-18 and 8-9 in Sun Belt Conference action, while the Mountaineers improved to 20-18, 10-8 SBC.

Freshman Ryan Ertlschweiger started for the Dukes and struck out two in 2.1 innings of work while giving up six runs (five earned). At the plate, redshirt senior Kyle Novak led the way with a career-high tying 4-for-4 effort with a double and a run scored.

Xander Hamilton moves to 7-2 this season after earning the win for the Mountaineers.

How It Happened
First Inning
App State struck first on a single and then a bases loaded hit by pitch to make it 2-0.

Second Inning
JMU then got a run back after redshirt senior Trevon Dabney led off with a single, moved to second on an error from the catcher and then advanced to third on Novak's single. Dabney then crossed the plate as Novak was caught stealing.

Third Inning
The Mountaineers' four-run third began with Golston Gillespie hitting his 11^th home run of the season, a two-run shot to make it 4-1. An RBI infield single would score two and make it 6-1.

Fifth Inning
Both teams would score two runs in the fifth. Graduate Jack Cone led off the inning with a single before freshman Mike Mancini would triple him in and then score on a wild pitch himself to make it 6-3.

The hosts then used a wild pitch and a double in the home half of the inning to get back to a five-run lead at 8-3.

Sixth Inning
Back-to-back hits from freshman Wyatt Peifer and Cone scored a pair for the Dukes, as Peifer would single in Novak who led off the inning with a double. Cone then doubled Peifer in to make the score 8-5 after Peifer moved to second on a wild pitch.

Gillespie doubled in a run for App State to get a run back and make it 9-5.

Seventh Inning
Just like the second inning, the Dukes had Dabney on third and Novak on first and scored a run as Dabney touched home before Novak was thrown out on the base paths.

Eighth Inning
The score was made 10-6 in favor of App State on a bases loaded infield single to plate one.

Game Notes

Kyle Novak had his second straight 4-for-4 performance and now has 10 hits in his last 11 at bats. He has a hit in his last nine plate appearances.

Up Next
The Dukes and Mountaineers meet for the middle game of the series on Saturday, April 29 at 3 p.m. at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium with the game streamed on ESPN+.