Dukes Rally Falls Short at Charlotte

Saturday, March 8

Charlotte, N.C.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

5-9

Charlotte

6-6

James Madison

Charlotte

3/8/2025 5:43:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – James Madison baseball scored three in the top of the ninth and brought the tying run on deck, but the rally fell short as the Dukes fell to Charlotte, 8-5, on Saturday afternoon at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium.

The Dukes fell to 5-9 and are on their first five-game losing streak since May 13-19, 2022, while the 49ers evened their record at 6-6.

Graduate Corey Dowdell led the way at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Senior Casey Smith started on the mound and went two innings, striking out two while giving up two runs.

How It Happened
Second Inning
Charlotte struck in the second inning, getting on the board with its first run from a squeeze bunt before a single up the middle knocked in another run for a 2-0 lead.

Fourth Inning
A leadoff solo shot began a four-run inning for the Niners to make it a 6-0 lead. A dropped fly ball in left field and a throwing error allowed another run to score, before two unearned runs were added.

Fifth Inning
The 49ers added a run on a fielder's choice, laying down a squeeze bunt again to make it 7-0.

Sixth Inning
Junior Wyatt Peifer smacked his first homer of the year, hitting a two-run shot to get the Dukes on the board and make the score 7-2.

Charlotte got a run back on a double to make it 8-2 in the home half of the inning.

Ninth Inning
The Dukes mounted a rally in the ninth inning, scoring three runs on a single from junior Jack Guerrero and a two-run double off the bat of senior Coleman Calabrese to make it 8-5.

Game Notes

Freshman Alex Bingler set career-highs in both innings pitched (3.2) and strikeouts (six).
JMU is up to nine double-digit strikeout games, as it tallied 11 from the pitching staff.

Up Next
The Dukes will face Charlotte in the series finale on Sunday, March 9 with a scheduled 1 p.m. first pitch.