Seven first-inning runs put the James Madison baseball team in a hole that it could not climb out of on Sunday afternoon, as the Dukes dropped the final game of their three-game Colonial Athletic Association series at William & Mary, 9-5, at Plumeri Park.
JMU racked up 11 hits on the afternoon, their highest total since Sunday, April 5, vs. Delaware, but did not draw a walk and stranded six runners as it fell to 12-24 (2-13 CAA) on the season. Every starter got at least one hit for the Tribe, completing the three-game sweep and lifting W&M to 18-19 (9-6 CAA) in 2015.
Sophomore designated hitter Ky Parrott led the Dukes on offense with a 3-for-3 afternoon that included a run and an RBI. Senior right fielder Kevin Husum added a 2-for-5 performance as eight of JMU’s nine starters tallied at least one hit.
The Dukes struck with their first opportunity after Husum bounced a single up the middle on the afternoon’s first pitch. The senior moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt from freshman second baseman Kyle McPherson and came around to score on Parrott’s RBI single to make it 1-0.
Later in the inning, sophomore first baseman Brett Johnson drove a single to right field to reach base for the 19th consecutive contest, but the Dukes would not score any more runs in the frame.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Tribe did all the damage they would need on the afternoon. Seven hits, including six singles, a walk and an error would push seven runs across for W&M in its first at-bat, staking the Tribe a 7-1 lead that was lifted to 9-1 with runs in both the second and third innings.
Parrott scored the Dukes’ second run in the fourth after being hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. The sophomore moved to second on a wild pitch and later scored on a single from junior left fielder Tyler Carroll that made it 9-2.
JMU would pick up two runs on three hits, including an RBI single from junior shortstop Kyle Weston, to make it 9-4 in the sixth before adding a final tally on three hits in the ninth. However, the Dukes would strand a pair of runners in the final frame without getting closer than 9-5.
Senior right-hander Derek Shifflett fell to 0-4 with the loss, while sophomore left-hander Michael Evans was brilliant in relief, striking out five and yielding just four hits across 5 1/3 shutout innings. W&M starter Aaron Fernandez picked up the win to move to 3-2 after holding JMU to two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
The Dukes return home this week for their first game at Veterans Memorial Park since April 5 when they welcome in-state rival George Mason on Tuesday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and live audio will be provided on MadiZone HD SportsNet presented by the JMU Alumni Association.
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