CONWAY, S.C., Feb. 22, 2009 – Sophomore starter Turner Phelps (Roanoke, Va./Lord Botetourt) recorded nine strikeouts and sophomore short stop David Herbek (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) remained hot at the plate to lead James Madison past Coastal Carolina 8-6 on Sunday afternoon in the finale of the Caravelle Resort Invitational at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field.

JMU improved to 1-3 on the season while CCU, ranked 22^nd nationally in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason poll, fell to 3-1.  It was JMU’s first win over a ranked opponent since an extra-inning triumph over #3 Virginia in 2007.

Phelps, the Colonial Athletic Association preseason pitcher of the year according to three different baseball publications, ran his winning streak to nine games in a row.  He allowed just two hits through the first five innings and finished with nine strikeouts, one shy of his career high, with six runs, five earned, and five hits allowed in 6 1/3 innings.

Sophomore Kevin Munson (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) worked the final 2 2/3 innings allowing three hits with no runs and two strikeouts for his first save of the season. 

Herbek doubled and homered for the Dukes, scoring twice and driving in a pair of runs.  He had multiple hits in each of the four games in the tournament and extended his career-best hitting streak to nine games dating back to the 2008 postseason.

Eight of JMU’s nine starters had a hit in the game while the remaining starter, junior center fielder Alex Foltz (Mathias, W.Va./East Hardy) walked twice, was hit by a pitch, and scored twice.  Redshirt sophomore first baseman Trevor Knight (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne’s-Belfield) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs.  Junior right fielder Matt Browning (Mystic, Conn./Fitch) drove in two while redshirt junior left fielder Matt Townsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield ) added a solo home run.

Jose Iglesias was 2-for-4 for CCU with three RBIs and his third home run of the tournament.  Chance Gilmore was 2-for-4.

Bobby Gagg worked four innings for the Chanticleers, surrendering seven runs on six hits.

JMU jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the game before then holding on in the final innings.  The Dukes scored first in the first inning when Browning singled through the left side to plate Knight and Foltz.

The Chants got one run back in the second on an RBI single by Taylor Motter before Herbek then hit a solo home run to left in the top of the third and Townsend added a blast to left in the fourth for a 4-1 lead.

The Dukes broke the game open in the fifth with Herbek hitting an RBI double to left center to plate junior second baseman Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington).  Knight singled to plate Herbek and Foltz and later scored on a wild pitch for the 8-1 JMU lead.

Phelps, who threw 130 pitches in his season debut, got to two outs in the sixth before a walk set up Iglesias’ three-run bomb to left.

The Chanticleers then had two on and nobody out in the seventh when Tyler Bortnick bunted and reached on a throwing error.  One run came in to score but the second was thrown out at the plate by Browning.  Another run came in on an RBI single by Scott Woodward.  Munson entered in relief and got to two outs with runners on first and second.  With runners then moving on a full count pitch, Woodward was then thrown out at the plate by Herbek trying to score on an infield single by Iglesias.

JMU will have its home opener on Tuesday with a 3 p.m. contest against Liberty.