HARRISONBURG, Va. – In a game that saw four lead changes and a tie, it was James Madison who prevailed with a 10-8 win over George Washington on Tuesday afternoon in non-conference baseball at Veterans Memorial Park to push its win streak to five.
The Dukes improve to 5-3 on the season while the Colonials fall to 2-6.
Freshman Kevin Scully earned his second win of the season behind two scoreless innings, striking out one while allowing a walk and two hits. Redshirt senior Lliam Grubbs picked up the save, moving him into a tie with Nick Robertson for fifth in career saves for the program at 11, after a shutout ninth. Sophomore Fenwick Trimble was a triple shy of the cycle at the plate with a career-high four hits, going 4-for-4 with a walk and a career-high tying three runs scored.
Graduate Jack Cone started on the mound for the Dukes, going three innings and striking out two while giving up five runs on five hits.
How It Happened
Second Inning
George Washington took the initial lead on a leadoff homer off the bat of Brett Young.
The Dukes responded swiftly in the bottom half of the second, with Cone doubling home two runs in a ball hit with two outs that fell right between the catcher and pitcher. Redshirt junior Mason Dunaway added a third run for a 3-1 lead, but got recorded the third out trying to extend the single into a double.
Third Inning
A four-spot was thrown on the visitors side of the third, as the Colonials took a 5-3 lead on an RBI double from Eddie Micheletti and then a three-run homer off the bat of Noah Levin two batters later.
Trimble led another swift response for JMU, singling to start the bottom of the third. He proceeded to steal second, advance to third on a groundout and then touched home plate off a single from redshirt junior Grant Painter. After Painter stole second, redshirt junior Jacob Steinberg reached on an error which allowed Painter to score and tie the game at five.
Fifth Inning
The Colonials took retook the lead, putting runners on the corners within the first two at bats. Two batters later, a groundout to the pitcher from Young would make the score 6-5. Levin then stepped up the next at bat and smacked his second homer of the game, a two-run shot, to extend the lead to three.
In the bottom of the fifth, Trimble took a run back for JMU, leading off and taking the first pitch he saw deep to make it 8-6. It was the second homer in as many games for the Virginia Beach, Va. native.
Sixth Inning
JMU used a walk, a single and then an intentional walk to load the bases with two outs to bring up redshirt senior Trevon Dabney. He proceeded to draw a five-pitch walk, pushing home a run to make it a one-run game. Classmate Kyle Novak then followed Dabney with a two-run base knock to give the Dukes the lead for good at 9-8.
Seventh Inning
An insurance run was added by the hosts off a single from sophomore Jason Schiavone to knock in pinch runner Coleman Calabrese for the 10-8 lead.
Game Notes
• Fenwick Trimble pushes his hit streak to five games.
• Jack Cone, Mason Dunaway and Fenwick Trimble all extended their reached base streaks to eight games.
• The Dukes recorded seven two-out RBI’s and hit .429 (6-14) with two outs.
• JMU has now had three straight games of a player scoring at least three runs.
Up Next
The Dukes welcome UMass Lowell to Veterans Memorial Park for a three-game series March 3-5. Game one on Friday will start at 3 p.m.
— JMU Athletics —