A back and forth, see-saw affair was decided with four runs in the top of the sixth as the James Madison Dukes defeated the VMI Keydets, 12-8, Tuesday afternoon at Gray-Minor Stadium in Lexington, Va.
With the score tied at seven, a two-run single by JMU’s (6-6) Ky Parrott off Blaine Lafin (0-1) provided the eventual difference in the game. Brett Johnson added on a two-run homer later in the inning to cap the four-run frame that the Keydets (7-7) could not rally from.
Lafin was charged with all four runs in the deciding sixth and dropped to 0-1 with the loss, while Eric Yankey retired the final batter of the fifth to go to 1-0 on the year. Ben Garner allowed one hit in 1 1/3 innings and picked up his second save.
JMU jumped out to the early 4-0 lead against Nathan Eaton, who was making his first collegiate start. A two-run double by McPherson was the key blow in the frame, but VMI rallied in the bottom half of the frame with a six-spot to take the lead. Matt Dunlevy’s three-run home run, the first of his career, turned the game around and gave VMI a 6-4 lead after the tumultous first inning.
A Peyton Maddox solo shot, his third of the year, made it 7-4 in the second, but the Dukes tied the game in the third on a three-run home run by Adam Sisk. From there, neither team got on the board until the decisive sixth inning.
After JMU jumped ahead, 11-7, the Keydets got a run back in the bottom half of the frame on a David Geary RBI double. Christian Leckert and Garner combined to go the final four innings without allowing a run, however, and the Dukes tacked on a run in the ninth to account for the final margin.
Offensively, Geary and Maddox had three hits apiece to lead the Keydets, while McPherson was 4 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored to lead the visitors.
VMI baseball is scheduled to return to action Friday, when the Keydets open a three-game series at Gray-Minor Stadium against Maryland-Eastern Shore. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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