JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 6, 2010 - Redshirt senior Matt Townsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield) drove in three runs, including a solo home run, and junior Kevin Munson (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) struck out three for his school-record 15^th save as James Madison defeated Alcorn State 8-7 on Saturday afternoon in the Kennel Club Classic at Harmon Stadium.

JMU won its third in a row to improve to 3-3 after the first-ever matchup against Alcorn.  ASU dropped to 4-6.

"It was an ugly win," commented JMU head coach Spanky McFarland. "We started four freshmen today.  We just decided that we needed to get them some playing time, and it gave us a chance to rest some of the other guys.  They made some typical young mistakes, but hopefully they learned how to play in a close game."

Munson entered with the tying run on and no outs in the ninth and struck out three straight batters to break the JMU career saves mark with 15, topping Bobby Lasko's (2004-07) 14.

Sophomore Josh Futter (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake) earned his first career victory, allowing an unearned run in 1 1/3 innings of relief.  Freshman D.J. Brown (Locust Grove, Va./Orange County) started and allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings.

Josh Brumfield took the loss in relief for the Braves, allowing three runs, two earned, in three innings.  Steve Easter started and allowed five runs in six innings.

Townsend went 2-for-3 with a double, home run, and three RBIs.  Freshman first baseman Matt Tenaglia (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.  Seniors Kent Burford (Waynesboro, Va./Stuarts Draft) and Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) also had two hits apiece.

Center fielder Alvin Jackson hit a grand slam for Alcorn State, the second given up by the Dukes in three games.  Right fielder Kilby Perdomo went 3-for-4 with a walk while first baseman Eduardo Gonzalez was 2-for-4.

JMU trailed 6-5 through six innings before tying the score in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Tenaglia.  The Dukes took the lead on a solo home run by Townsend and made it 8-6 when Browning singled, stole second, and scored on a throwing error.

ASU got one back in the eighth when left fielder Kenneth Rowan reached on a fielding error and scored on a two-out double to right for the unearned run and an 8-7 score.

After JMU went down in order in the top of the ninth, the Braves put their leadoff man on via a throwing error, the fifth JMU error of the game.  The Dukes turned to Munson, who struck out three consecutive batters to preserve the win and earn his record save.

JMU struck first in the top of the second as Tenaglia and Burford led off with singles, and a bunt single by second baseman Bradley Shaban (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) loaded the bases.  Freshman center fielder Johnny Bladel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) walked to drive in the first run and a Townsend sacrifice fly made it 2-0.

Two innings later, Burford led off with a walk, stole second, and moved to third on an error.  He scored on an RBI double by Townsend for a 3-0 JMU lead. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Alcorn loaded the bases the same way JMU did in the second with a pair of singles and a bunt single.  After a strikeout, Jackson hit a grand slam to right field to abruptly put the Braves ahead 4-3.

Redshirt senior Brett Garner (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) got the Dukes started with a double in the fifth.  After a Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) walk, Tenaglia singled through the right side to tie the score at 4-4.  Then on a strikeout, Tenaglia stole second and Fabiaschi scored on the double steal for a 5-4 lead.

Errors hurt the Dukes in the sixth as Jackson reached on an error and stole second.  Shortstop Brandon Hollins reached safely when his sacrifice bunt was thrown away, allowing Jackson to score the unearned run.  The Braves then went in front on a sacrifice fly by Rowan.

JMU steps away from the Kennel Club Classic on Sunday for a 1 p.m. game at Jacksonville.