Four batters collected three or more hits as part of a 21-hit attack as James Madison scored nine unanswered runs to knock off UNC Greensboro 17-7 in a non-conference baseball game Sunday afternoon at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
JMU improved to 25-12 overall while UNCG dropped to 18-16. The Dukes reclaimed their spot as the nation’s leader in hits after topping 20 for the fourth time this season. Only four of the hits went for extra bases. Meanwhile, JMU pitchers limited an opponent to five or fewer hits for the fifth time this season.
Freshman designated hitter Ty McFarland (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) posted career highs with four hits and three runs scored. Junior catcher Jake Lowery (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) was 3-for-5 with a double, triple, three RBIs and three runs scored. Sophomore right fielder Johnny Bladel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) was also 3-for-5 with two sacrifice flies and three RBIs to wrap up an 8-for-12 three-game series.
Sophomore first baseman Matt Tenaglia (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) was also 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Redshirt senior center fielder Alex Foltz (Mathias, W.Va./East Hardy) was 2-for-4 with two runs, a hit by pitch, sacrifice fly and a stolen base. Sophomore second baseman Bradley Shaban (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) was 2-for-3 with three runs and two walks.
Junior Josh Futter (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake) registered his first win of the season after allowing just one hit in 4 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. Bladel made the first pitching appearance of his career with a scoreless ninth inning with one walk and one strikeout.
Starter Jonathan Jones fell to 0-4 for the Spartans after surrendering seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. He was the first of seven UNCG pitchers in the game. First baseman Trevor Edwards had two of the five hits for the home team. Left fielder Bobby Martin had a three-run home run.
While they had just five hits, the Spartans stayed in the game with 10 walks and a hit batter. JMU led 8-7 after four innings before scoring nine unanswered runs with two in the fifth, three in the seventh and four in the eighth.
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