Sophomore Billy Logan (Greenup, Ky./Greenup County) hit the game-winner in the ninth in the opener and fellow sophomore D.J. Brown (Locust Grove, Va./Orange County) earned the win in game two as James Madison swept a Colonial Athletic Association baseball doubleheader at William and Mary, 6-4 and 5-3, on Saturday at Plumeri Park.
With the wins, JMU improved to 11-1 overall for its best 12-game record in program history. The Dukes ran their current winning streak to seven, the sixth-longest in the nation. At the conclusion of the doubleheader, JMU ranked fourth in the nation in winning percentage (.917), second in most wins (11) and first in offense (13.3 runs per game). Madison also won its ninth straight CAA series after winning all eight in 2010. W&M fell to 2-11 overall and 0-3 in the league.
Game 1: JMU 6, William and Mary 4
In the opener, JMU took the lead at 4-2 after a three-run eighth only to see W&M tie the score in the bottom of the inning. In the ninth, the Dukes had one on and two outs when senior shortstop David Herbek (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) singled to put runners on the corners. The Tribe elected to walk left-handed first baseman Matt Tenaglia (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) with a right-handed bat on deck. Logan pinch hit with the bases loaded and two outs and came through with a single up the middle to plate a pair of runs.
In the ninth, W&M put the first two batters on before a double play. Freshman Tyler McFarland (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) came in to record the final out for his first career save.
McFarland was also 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs on a double in JMU’s three-run eighth. Herbek and senior center fielder Alex Foltz (Mathias, W.Va./East Hardy) each had two hits.
Left-hander Sean Tierney (Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill) pitched one inning of scoreless relief to improve to 3-0. Senior Alex Valadja (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) allowed two runs on four hits over six innings as the starter.
Ryan Lindemuth had three RBIs for the Tribe on a pair of groundouts and a sacrifice fly. First baseman Tadd Bower was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Logan Billbrough made the start for W&M and allowed just one unearned run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings before the Dukes made their damage against the bullpen. Jay McCarthy took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Game 2: JMJ 5, William and Mary 3
JMU improved to 6-0 in doubleheader games this season after winning the nightcap. Brown limited the Tribe to one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings to join Tierney at 3-0. McFarland pitched the final 2 1/3, allowing two runs on five hits.
The Dukes claimed a 5-0 lead in the game thanks to a fielding error in the fifth, a Connor Brown (Richmond, Va./Godwin) sacrifice fly and another fielding error in the sixth, and a Johnny Bladel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) bases-loaded walk in the seventh combined with a Jake Lowery (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) sacrifice fly.
The Tribe got an RBI single from shortstop Derrick Osteen in the seventh and added two runs in the ninth on Bower’s two-run single. W&M had the potential tying run on with one out, but Lindemuth lined into a game-ending double play.
Foltz was the only JMU player with multiple hits as W&M led Madison in hits 11-6. Connor Brown singled, walked twice, scored a run and drive in a run.
Center fielder Ryan Brown was 3-for-5 for the Tribe. Osteen and Bower were each 2-for-5.
After playing their first road games of the season, the Dukes return home for the next four games. VMI visits Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park on Tuesday at 4 p.m. JMU then entertains Hofstra in a home CAA series next weekend with 6:30 p.m. games Friday and Saturday followed by Sunday’s 2 p.m. finale.
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Chris Graham
