HARRISONBURG, VA. (JMU Athletics) – Senior Coleman Calabrese hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 11th inning of game two of Saturday afternoon’s doubleheader to give James Madison baseball the series win against ULM at Veterans Memorial Park. ULM took game one, 9-3, before the Dukes won game two, 6-5, in the opening weekend of Sun Belt Conference action.

The Dukes improved to 7-12 (2-1 SBC) while the Warhawks dropped to 9-10 (1-2 SBC).

Senior Wyatt Peifer and sophomore J.P. Williams both recorded two-hit games in game one, while seven Dukes knocked a base hit in game two. Junior Max Kuhle (1-1) earned the win in the second game behind 4.2 innings of relief and five strikeouts, both season-highs.

ULM 9, JMU 3
The Warhawks rushed out to a 9-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning, using a six-run third inning to open the game up. The inning featured two hits, two hit-by-pitches and four walks that resulted in the six runs for ULM.

A Peifer double in the bottom half of the third got the Dukes on the board, before Williams connected on a two-run shot in the sixth inning for his first career homer and to cut the ULM lead down to 9-3.

JMU’s bullpen combined to retire 15 consecutive batters to bridge the third inning to the eighth, with freshman Adam Horvath tossing four innings of one-hit ball with three stikeouts.

JMU 6, ULM 5 (11 Innings)
ULM continued the momentum from game one, leading off the game with a solo shot. A second solo home run in the fourth extended the lead to 2-0.

The Dukes tied the game in the next half inning on a sacrifice fly and a Reece Moody double, before taking the lead in the fifth on Calabrese’s first home run of the season, making it 3-2.

A two-run homer from ULM regained the lead for the visitors in the sixth inning to make it 4-3.

JMU didn’t back down though, as back-to-back hits from junior Maddux Fleck and senior Eli Steadman in the seventh gave the Dukes back their lead at 5-4.

In the top of the eighth inning, ULM tied the game at five with a leadoff triple followed by a single that ultimately would send the game into extras.

Calabrese provided the heroics in the 11th inning, as an infield single and back-to-back hit-by-pitches loaded the bases with one out before the Bowie, Md. native hit a fly ball to left field to knock in Peifer for a 6-5 win.

Game Notes
• With the walk-off win, the Dukes secured a series win in the opening weekend of conference play for the first time since 2022. It marks the first time of the accomplishment during the Sun Belt era.
• It is JMU’s first walk-off win since knocking off Niagara on March 12 last season and first extra-innings win since going 10 innings on March 8 last year at ETSU.
• JMU played extra innings for the first time since opening last year’s Raleigh Regional with a 10-inning affair against South Carolina.
• For the first time since going to 11 innings with Old Dominion on May 14, 2023, the Dukes played in extras at Veterans Memorial Park.

Up Next
The Dukes trek through the Mountain State for their next five games, taking on West Virginia in Morgantown on March 18-19 before going to Huntington for a three-game set with Marshall from March 21-23.

— JMU Athletics —