HARRISONBURG, Va. – Graduate Jaylon Lee took a pitch off the forearm with bases loaded in the 10th inning to give James Madison baseball a 7-6 win on Thursday evening to start open the series against Georgia State at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Dukes move to 18-11 overall and even their Sun Belt Conference record to 4-4, while the Panthers drop their fifth straight to fall to 14-16, 4-6 SBC.

Junior Joe Vogatsky (3-0) went a season-high three innings of relief to earn the win, giving up a run and striking out two. Graduate Jack Cone led at the plate with a season-high tying 3-for-4 effort, hitting a double and drawing a walk.

How It Happened
Second Inning
Georgia State got on the board first utilizing a double steal with runners on first and second base, with the lead runner scoring after an errant throw down to second.

JMU took the lead back after freshmen Mike Mancini and Wyatt Peifer reached on a walk and a single, respectively, to bring up sophomore Coleman Calabrese. The designated hitter then took a 2-0 pitch off the foul pole for his first career homer and a 3-1 lead.

Third Inning
The response by the Panthers was quick, as a leadoff home run by Colin Hynek got a run back.

Redshirt junior Mason Dunaway made it a two-run game once again, leading off the bottom of the inning with a triple and then scoring on a wild pitch to make it 4-2.

Sixth Inning
After GSU put two on with one out, a throw into the turf from Dunaway allowed the lead runner to advance two bases and make it a 4-3 game.

Seventh Inning
With one down, Cone reached on an infield single to load the bases. Dunaway then was hit by a pitch to send Peifer home and was followed by sophomore Fenwick trimble who knocked in a run on a ground out to make it 6-3.

Eighth Inning
GSU loaded the bases with no outs, but an infield fly double play got two outs on the board with runners on second and third. Dylan Strickland then laced a single up the middle to score both runners, making it a one-run game at 6-5.

Ninth Inning
Matt Ruiz stepped up with one out and tripled off the right field wall and was followed by JoJo Jackson drawing a walk. Cameron Jones then hit a grounder to second, with the flip to second getting the first out but the throw over to first not in time and allowed the tying run to score.

10th Inning
Trimble led off the inning with a pop up that the second baseman dropped for two bases. Redshirt senior Kyle Novak then laid down a bunt for a base hit and Mancini was intentionally walked to load the bases for Lee. The Newport News, Va. native fouled off the first pitch before being hit by the second pitch to give the Dukes a 7-6 win.

Game Notes
• Ryan Ertlschweiger made his first career start, going three-and-two-thirds innings and striking out a career-high tying four batters.

Up Next
The Dukes and Panthers meet for the middle game of the series on Friday, April 7 at 6 p.m.

— JMU Athletics —