The James Madison baseball team fell just short of a ninth-inning comeback on Thursday evening, dropping an 8-7 heartbreaker to UNCW in Colonial Athletic Association action at Brooks Field.
The Dukes held leads of 5-1 and 6-5 on the evening, but stranded 13 runners as they fell to 18-31 (6-16 CAA) on the season. UNCW made three errors, but scored seven runs across its final three at-bats to improve to 34-16 (17-5 CAA) and clinch a first-round bye in next week’s CAA Tournament.
Junior shortstop Chad Carroll continued his hot streak at the plate, pacing the Dukes with a 2-for-4 performance that included three runs and three stolen bases. Carroll now has 12 hits and eight stolen bases in his last five games, raising his batting average to .345 on the season.
Senior right fielder Kevin Husum and junior third baseman Kyle Weston each added two hits of their own, while freshman second basemanKyle McPherson drove in a pair of runs for the Dukes.
UNCW struck first, using two hits in the opening frame to put JMU in an early hole. The Dukes would strike back, however, bringing across five runs across the fourth and fifth innings.
The Seahawks made all three of their errors in the top of the fourth, allowing three JMU runs to score. Sophomore designated hitter Ky Parrott walked to start the inning and Carroll followed him with a single to left before Weston drove in the Dukes’ first run on an 0-1 single to right. Carroll and Weston would later both come home on fielding errors to put JMU up 3-1.
Carroll helped the Dukes tack on two more in the fifth after he singled to left with two outs, then stole both second and third. McPherson would then drive an 0-2 pitch to right field to make it 4-1. Weston later came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Dukes a 5-1 lead after five complete innings.
However, the Seahawks would tie things up in the bottom of the sixth with a four-run frame. After a leadoff hit-by-pitch, UNCW strung together three straight hits, capped by a three-run homer from first baseman Corey Dick, that erased the Dukes’ lead and levelled the game at 5-5.
JMU went back on top in the top of the seventh, scoring a run on two walks and two hit-by-pitches to go up 6-5, but three UNCW runs on four hits in the bottom of the eighth put the Dukes in an 8-6 hole from which they would not escape.
Sophomore first baseman Brett Johnson and junior catcher Bobby San Martin both walked to open the top of the ninth and freshman center fielder Michael Sciorra laced a single to right-center that brought the Dukes within one at 8-7, but a flyout and a strikeout would strand the tying run at second and end JMU’s comeback bid.
Junior left-hander Aaron Hoover, the only Duke to start a game on the mound every weekend of the season, threw all eight innings for JMU, striking out four as he fell to 4-5.
Jordan Ramsey picked up the win for UNCW, moving to 7-2 after 1 2/3 innings of relief work, while William Shepley earned his second save of the year after working out of a first-and-second jam in the top of the ninth. Designated hitter Luke Dunlap paced the Seahawks offense, scoring two runs and driving in two more in a 3-for-4 evening.
The two teams will be back in action on Friday evening for the second of three games this week. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and live video will be provided by UNCW.
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Chris Graham
