BLACKSBURG, Va., March 11, 2008 – James Madison University led from start to finish and put five runs on the board in the ninth inning to pull away from Virginia Tech for a 10-3 non-conference baseball win Tuesday afternoon at English Field.

JMU improved to 9-3 overall and won its fifth in a row for the first time since late in the 2006 season.  It is the first five-game winning streak of entirely road games since 1995.  VT dropped to 7-7 for the season.  The Dukes won their third straight game at English Field with the last loss in 1998.  They improved to 30-20 all-time against the Hokies, including five wins in a row and a 12-3 mark since that loss in 1998.

Redshirt senior Trevor Kaylid (Cary, N.C./Green Hope), who started in three wins against Atlantic Coast Conference foes in 2007, picked up another ACC win, going five innings and allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.  JMU has now won five in a row against the ACC.  Three freshmen combined to limit Tech to one run and two hits over the final four innings.

The top third of the JMU lineup drove in seven of the team’s 10 runs as JMU piled up 15 hits in the contest.  The Dukes scored nine of their 10 runs with two outs.

Sophomore Alex Foltz (Mathias, W.Va./East Hardy) went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in the leadoff spot.  Redshirt senior Joe Lake (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) had three hits and three RBIs in the two hole.  Redshirt junior Brett Sellers (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) had a two-run single in the ninth for a career-best eight-game hitting streak.

Three other JMU batters had multiple-hit games.  Junior Brett Garner (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) was 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs, and a walk.  Redshirt junior Lee Bujakowski (Hopewell, Va./Hopewell) and redshirt sophomore Steven Caseres (New City, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional) each had two hits and a run scored with Bujajkowski adding an RBI.

Redshirt senior Andrew Wells (Alexandria, Va./St. Stephen’s) took the loss for the Hokies, surrendering three runs, two earned, on six hits in four innings.  Redshirt junior Rhett Ballard (High Point, N.C./S.W. Guilford) gave up five runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings after entering the game with a 0.79 ERA and .162 opponent batting average.

Senior Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va./Tucker) and sophomore Anthony Sosnoskie (Front Royal, Va./Notre Dame Academy) each went 2-for-4 for Virginia Tech with Hacker adding an RBI.  Freshman Tony Balisteri (Lexington, Va./Rockbridge Co.) drove in two runs with one hit.

JMU took the lead in the third after Foltz reached on a bunt single that hugged the third base line but stayed fair.  He appeared to be picked off and caught in a rundown, but the short stop was unable to pull in the throw at second base.  The Dukes took advantage with Lake coming through with an RBI single to left center.

The Dukes added two runs in the fourth when Caseres started the inning with a double off the wall in left centerfield.  After a pair of groundouts, Bujakowski then lifted a double off the wall in right center to plate the second run.  Garner then singled to right and Bumbry’s throw to the plate shorthopped the catcher, allowing Bujakowski to slide in safely.

VT got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth.  Senior Jose Cueto (Miami, Fla./Braddock) singled to start the inning and moved to second on a one-out single by freshman Michael Seaborn (Atlanta, Ga./Lovett) that hit the bag at third and bounced high in the air, preventing any further advancement.  After a strikeout, Balisteri sent the first pitch he saw down the right field line for a two-run triple.

In the sixth, the Dukes loaded the bases on a walk and a pair of hit batters, all with two outs.  Lake hit a grounder to the second baseman but Foltz was able to slide in before the toss at second, allowing Lake to reach safely on the fielder’s choice and scoring a run on the play.

In the bottom of the seventh, Ryan drew a one-out walk for the Hokies.  After he stole second, he came around to score on a double by Hacker just inside the left field foul line.  Mincone then entered in relief and the Dukes caught Hacker stealing at third and then struck out the batter to end the threat.

JMU put one on the board in the eighth as Garner led off with a double that bounced through the hole on the left side and off the short stop’s glove.  The redirection off the glove allowed him to reach second for a double.  He moved to third on a passed ball and, after a walk, came around to score on a fielder’s choice ground ball by Foltz. 

The Dukes put the game away in the ninth.  Freshman McKinnon Langston (Tallahassee, Fla./North Florida Christian) walked with one out and advanced to second on a single just beyond the reach of the second baseman by Bujakowski.  After a strikeout, sophomore Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) grounded to second and the ball took a high bounce over Hacker for an RBI single.  Foltz then sliced a single to right field for a 7-3 JMU lead.  Lake followed with a similar opposite-field hit t to drive in another run for the Dukes.  Sellers then lined the first pitch he saw back up the middle for a two-run single and a 10-3 lead.

JMU will return home Wednesday for the first time since March 2 for a 3 p.m. game against George Washington.