March 3, 2010

BOX SCORE

HARRISONBURG, Va. -- Longwood University dropped an 11-10 road decision in baseball at James Madison University of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Harrisonburg. The Lancers (5-1) had taken a 9-2 advantage in the sixth inning against the Dukes (1-3) who rallied back with nine runs in the final four innings to take the come-from-behind victory. Longwood will play again this weekend, March 6-7, hosting Niagara University of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for a pair of doubleheaders at Bolding Stadium in Farmville on Saturday and Sunday beginning each day at 12 p.m..

Longwood fell behind 1-0 in the second inning before scoring two runs in the third and four more runs in the fourth to lead 6-1. The Lancers added three runs in the sixth to lead 9-2 after James Madison had scored another run in the fifth, but the Dukes rallied with five runs in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh to tie it at 9-9. The hosts scored a run in the eighth inning to lead 10-9, but LU answered with a run in the top of the ninth to tie it at 10-10. JMU won it in the bottom of the ninth, scoring the game-winner with one out.

In the third, sophomore Dustin Sollars/Midlothian (Cosby) (1-4) reached on a two-out single and scored on an RBI triple from senior Robbie Bailey/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (1-4, RBI) who would cross the plate on a wild pitch. In the fourth, sophomore Robby Newman/Virginia Beach (Salem) (2-5, 4 RBI) hit his third home run of the season, a out-out grand slam that scored seniors Phil Cerreto/Midlothian (Midlothian) (2-4, RBI), Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania) (2-5), and David Smiy Jr./Chesterfield (Matoaca) (0-4) as the trio had doubled, walked, and singled, respectively. In the sixth, junior Brant Jones/Richmond (Monacan) (1-4, 2 RBI) provided a two-out, two-run triple scoring Newman (single) and Bailey (walk). Jones crossed the plate on an RBI single by Cerreto. In the ninth, Cerreto led-off with a single and would score on a fielding error after a single from senior Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) (2-4).

JMU scored in the second on an RBI single by Mike Fabiaschi (1-3, RBI), and added a run in the fifth on an RBI single from Johnny Bladel (2-4, 3 RBI). The Dukes' five runs in the sixth were courtesy a two-run home run by pinch hitter Jake Lowery (1-2, 2 RBI) with two outs, a two-run double by Bladel, and a ground ball RBI from McKinnon Langston (2-5, 2 RBI). In the seventh, Matt Tenaglia (1-1, 2 RBI) hit a two-out, two-run double for the hosts, while in the eighth, Matt Townsend (1-5, RBI) hit a two-out solo home run. In the ninth, JMU loaded the bases with no outs before Langston drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single.

Sophomore Mark Montgomery/Williamsburg (Bruton) (1-1) took the pitching loss in relief with the final 2.0-plus innings, allowing five hits and two runs, both earned, with three strikeouts and one walk. Freshman Bobby Shelton/Forest (Jefferson Forest) had started and tossed the first 5.0 innings, scattering four hits and two runs, both earned, with three strikeouts and no walks.

Kevin Munson (1-0) collected the mound win for James Madison, pitching the final 1.0 inning and allowing two hits and one run, unearned, with one strikeout. Turner Phelps had started and tossed the first 4.0 innings, yielding five hits and six runs, all earned, with four strikeouts and three walks. The Dukes were playing the first-ever game at their new stadium while improving their all-time series lead against Longwood to 11-5.