HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison baseball defeated Louisiana, 6-5, in an 11-inning thriller on Saturday evening at Veterans Memorial Park to even the three-game Sun Belt Conference series.
After Jack Anderson singled to lead off the 11th, a fielding error on a sacrifice bunt attempt from Kyle Langley allowed Anderson to score from first base and walk off Louisiana (19-12, 4-7 Sun Belt). JMU (14-15, 5-6 Sun Belt) finished with six runs on 10 hits, which included home runs from Reece Moody and Wyatt Campbell.
Griffin Madden notched his fourth win of the season, going 2.1 innings in relief. The Cumberland, Md., native finished with a season-high four strikeouts, including two in the top of the 11th with the bases loaded. Freshman pitcher Luke Alexander recorded five innings of scoreless baseball, finishing with four strikeouts while allowing just three hits.
Ben Barrow went 2-for-4 at the plate to pace the Dukes, while Jack Anderson produced a 2-for-5 outing for his second multi-hit game of the season.
How It Happened
First Inning
Moody hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Langley, putting the Dukes ahead 1-0.
Third Inning
JMU took advantage of a Louisiana error with a high throw to third, resulting in Clay Thompson stealing third before going all the way home to make it a 2-0 game.
Sixth Inning
Trip Dobson got the Cajuns on the board with a sacrifice fly to score teammate Lee Amedee.
The Dukes responded with a solo shot to center field from Moody at the top of the order to hold on to a 2-1 edge.
Seventh Inning
The Cajuns picked up four runs on five hits, highlighted by back-to-back RBI’s by Steven Spalitta and Donovan LaSalle for a 5-3 Louisiana lead.
Eighth Inning
JMU responded as Campbell homered to left center, bringing home Conner Worth after he singled to center earlier in the inning, tying the game at 5-5.
Ninth Inning
Madden entered with two outs in the top of the ninth, striking out Louisiana’s Colt Brown looking with the bases loaded.
Eleventh Inning
Despite the bases being loaded once again with zero outs on the board, Madden managed to throw back-to-back strikeouts, followed by a flyout, giving the Dukes a chance.
JMU came out victorious after Langley laid down a bunt that was collected by Louisiana’s third baseman, but an errant throw to first, combined with no one covering home, resulted in Jack Anderson advancing from second all the way to home.
Game Notes
• The Dukes are now 6-0 this season when hitting multiple home runs.
• Thompson went 1-for-2 to extend his hit streak to seven games.
• With today’s performance, Campbell has tallied 18 career multi-RBI games to tie Thompson for the most among active JMU leaders.
• Moody’s home run marked the second of his career, and first since sending one to left field in a 6-4 win over ETSU on March 7 earlier this season.
• The victory was the Dukes’ first over Louisiana since 2024 when JMU rallied from an early six-run deficit at Riverwalk Stadium to take down No. 21 Louisiana, 10-9, in Montgomery, Ala., at the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship on May 23, 2024.
Up Next
The Dukes will complete their series against Louisiana on Saturday with the first pitch slated for 11 a.m. and will air on the JMU Radio Network.
— JMU Athletics —
