7.2 Scoreless from Burke Leads to Heroics from Dunaway to Walk Off Niagara

Tuesday, March 12

Harrisonburg, Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

12-4

Niagara

9-6

Niagara

James Madison

7.2 Scoreless from Burke Leads to Heroics from Dunaway to Walk Off Niagara

3/12/2024 8:33:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison graduate Donovan Burke went a career-high 7.2 innings and did not allow a run before redshirt senior Mason Dunaway delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Dukes to a 2-1 win over Niagara on Tuesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Dukes improved to 12-4 and 9-0 at home this season while the Purple Eagles dropped to 9-6.

The lone Dukes with multiple hits were the two that drove in runs as Dunaway went 2-for-5 with an RBI and classmate Jacob Steinberg went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Senior Joe Vogatsky improved to 3-0 on the season with 1.1 innings of relief and a pair of strikeouts.

How It Happened
Eighth Inning
JMU had threatened with a runner 90 feet away from the plate in the fifth and sixth innings before breaking through in the eighth. Graduate Brendan O'Donnell was hit by a pitch, advanced to second and then a wild pitch allowed him to reach third base. Steinberg poked a 2-2 pitch through the right side of the infield to break the scoreless tie.

Ninth Inning
Eric Rataczak led the top of the ninth off for Niagara with a home run to tie the game at one.

Junior Fenwick Trimble worked a full count with one out and worked a walk before stealing second. With two outs and down in the count 0-2, Dunaway connected on a pitch and sent it into center field to drive in Trimble for the winning score.

Game Notes

Donovan Burke struck out five and did not allow a runner to reach third until the eighth inning. The only runners to reach second were a double, a two-base error and an infield single that advanced the runner who reached on a walk.
Burke is the first Duke to toss 7.2 shutout innings since Ryan Murphy went eight scoreless against Presbyterian on May 1, 2022.
Wyatt Peifer extended his reached base streak to 14 games while Brendan O'Donnell advanced his to 12 games.
It is only the fifth game out of 16 this season that the Dukes did not hit a home run.

Up Next
The Dukes and Purple Eagles meet again on Wednesday, March 12 at Veterans Memorial Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be broadcasted on the Varsity Network App.