Comeback Bid Falls Run Short for Dukes on the Road

Wednesday, April 17

Lexington, Va.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

21-15

VMI

21-19

James Madison

VMI

4/17/2024 9:31:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

LEXINGTON, Va. – After falling behind by eight runs after the first two innings to VMI, James Madison baseball battled back to score seven runs across the final four innings but fell a run short, 10-9, on Wednesday night at Gray-Minor Stadium.

The Dukes dropped to 21-15 and had their six-game win streak in the all-time series snapped, while the Keydets improved to 21-19 with their sixth double-digit run-output of the series.

Junior Ryan Dooley led the Dukes at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored and three RBI's. Redshirt senior Sean Culkin started on the mound and went one-plus inning with two strikeouts.

How It Happened
First Inning
VMI got the first run scored two batters in after a leadoff double and then a single. A two-run homer from Grayson Fitzwater gave the Keydets a 3-0 lead.

Second Inning
The Dukes managed to get a pair of runners on from a single and a hit by pitch. After a double steal, redshirt senior Jacob Steinberg drove in a run on a groundout to make the score 3-1.

A six-spot was scored by VMI to make it 9-1. A leadoff homer and a bases loaded hit by pitch scored two runs before Fitzwater hit a grand slam for his second homer of the game.

Fourth Inning
Graduate Brendan O'Donnell crossed home plate for the second JMU run of the game, drawing a walk and stealing a career-high-tying second stolen base of the game to get into scoring position. Steinberg then collected his second RBI of the game on an opposite field single to make it 9-2.

The Keydets tacked on a run on a sacrifice fly to lead 10-2.

Sixth Inning
Junior Coleman Calabrese led off the inning with a double, advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice fly from O'Donnell to make the score 10-3.

Seventh Inning
Leading off the inning, junior Jason Schiavone hit his 10^th homer of the season to make the score 10-4. With O'Donnell's 10 homers this season, the Dukes have two 10-homer hitters for the first time since Jake Lowery hit 23 and David Herbek hit 15 in 2011.

Eighth Inning
Dooley knocked the first of two runs in the inning on a double, a call that was reversed after originally being called a home run. With the bases loaded, Schiavone drove in the second run on a fielder's choice to cut the deficit to 10-6.

Ninth Inning
Junior Fenwick Trimble recorded a one-out single and was joined by Calabrese on the base paths from a hit by pitch. Dooley then brought the Dukes within two on his second double of the game, scoring both classmates. The next at bat, O'Donnell knocked in Dooley to bring the score to 10-9 with a single.

Up Next
JMU returns home to host Georgia Southern on April 19-21 at Veterans Memorial Park. The Friday night opener is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.