JMU baseball drops mid-week contest at VMI

Junior shortstop Chad Carroll turned in his third three-hit performance in the last four games on Tuesday evening, but the James Madison baseball team dropped a 10-6 decision to VMI in non-conference action at Gray-Minor Stadium.

The Dukes tallied nine hits on the evening, including three for extra bases, but stranded seven runners as they dropped to 18-30 on the season. VMI managed just five hits from five different players, taking advantage of 13 JMU walks to improve to 18-27 in 2015.

Carroll’s 3-for-4 evening marked the Dukes’ only multi-hit performance and included a first-inning, two-run homer, a walk and a stolen base. The stolen base was the 62nd of his collegiate career, moving him into sole possession of sixth place all-time at JMU. Alex Foltz (2007-11) sits in fifth place with 69. Carroll has also stolen 23 bases this year, the highest single-season total of his career.

Six other Dukes tallied hits on the evening, as sophomore left fielder Josh Wyatt was 1-for-3 with a two-RBI double and senior right fielder Kevin Husum scored a pair of runs in a 1-for-4 evening.

JMU took the lead just two batters into the game, thanks to Carroll’s bat. After Husum drew a leadoff walk to open the action, the Oakton, Va., native picked out a 1-1 pitch and drilled a line drive over the left-center wall to stake the Dukes an early 2-0 lead.

The homer was Carroll’s fourth of the season, a new single-season best for the junior, tying him for third-most on the team.

VMI halved the deficit in the bottom of the first with a solo homer of its own before striking for four runs in the third inning. The Keydets took advantage of five walks and used just one hit–a three-RBI triple to right-center–to take a 5-2 lead that they would not relinquish.

After VMI added a pair of runs in the fourth to make it 7-2, the Dukes scored three times in the fifth to cut things to 7-5.

Husum led off the frame with a single and Carroll followed him with a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a fielder’s choice and a four-pitch walk loaded the bases, freshman second baseman Kyle McPherson drove a fly ball to deep center to score Husum from third.

Wyatt then hammered a 1-2 pitch off the right-center field wall, bringing both runners all the way around to score and putting the Dukes within two for the last time. The Keydets responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and a final tally in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.

Junior first baseman Kyle Weston would bounce an RBI single up the middle in the top of the ninth, but the Dukes would get no closer.

Sophomore Trey Jones was saddled with the loss on the evening, falling to 0-2 on the year. Junior starter Mark Gunst was solid for the Dukes, yielding just the leadoff home run through his two complete innings, while sophomore right-hander Brandon Withers struck out a career-best five across the final three frames while surrendering just one run.

VMI starter Micah Gorman picked up the win to improve to 1-1 in 2015, but was tagged for five earned runs in the effort. No Keydets accounted for more than one hit, but center fielder Brandon Angus scored four runs and stole four bases in a 1-for-3 evening that included a pair of walks.

The Dukes will wrap up the season later this week, May 14-16, when they travel south to Wilmington, N.C., for a three-game set at UNCW. The two squads will play at 6 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday evening before closing the series with a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday afternoon.

The Colonial Athletic Association Tournament is scheduled for the following weekend, May 20-23, in Charleston, S.C. The top six teams in the CAA standings will qualify for the tournament.