Career Outing from Smith Leads Dukes to First Road Win

Saturday, March 22

Huntington, W.Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

8-15, 3-2

Marshall

12-11, 2-3

James Madison

Marshall

3/22/2025 8:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Senior Casey Smith set career-highs in innings pitched and strikeouts, outdueling Griffin Miller on Saturday afternoon at Jack Cook Field to lead James Madison baseball past Marshall, 5-4, in Sun Belt Conference action for its first road win of the season.

The Dukes snapped a three-game skid and improved to 8-15 (3-2 SBC), while the Herd fell to 12-11 (2-3 SBC).

Six Dukes recorded hits, with junior Wyatt Peifer adding two RBIs and a run scored to his 1-for-4 day. Smith (1-1) earned the win after going 7.1 innings with six strikeouts, as he allowed two runs (one earned), three walks and five hits. Freshman Adam Horvath got the final two outs of the game for his first career save.

How It Happened
Fifth Inning
Marshall recorded the first base knock of the day from either team, getting a one-out single from Eddie Leon. Leon would come around to score on a squeeze bunt to give the Herd a 1-0 lead.

Seventh Inning
Sophomore Kyle Langley broke up Miller's no-hit bid with a leadoff single, eventually coming around to score on a single from junior Maddux Fleck that hit off second base to make it 1-1.

Eighth Inning
A four-run inning from JMU allowed the Dukes to open the game. After senior Coleman Calabrese drew a walk and graduate Corey Dowdell followed by hitting a double, Peifer gave JMU its first lead with a two-run single. A hit-by-pitch moved Peifer to second, as he would then score from second on an infield error. Sophomore Nic Poole capped the scoring with an RBI single to make it 5-1 Dukes.

The Herd took a run back, scoring an unearned run off a double down into the left field corner to make it 5-2.

Ninth Inning
Marshall knocked in a pair of runs to get within one at 5-4, putting the tying run on third before a forceout at second base ended the game.

Game Notes

The leadoff batter for JMU reached five times – twice on walks, twice on errors and once on a base hit.
JMU snapped a 13-game losing streak on the road that extended back to last season.
Marshall's Griffin Miller went 7.1 innings, recording four strikeouts while giving up two hits, two runs and five walks.

Up Next
The Dukes and Herd meet Sunday, March 23 in the rubber match of the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch.