HARRISONBURG, Va., Feb. 27, 2009 – Sophomore Rob Froio scored on a wild pitch in the top of the 12th to give Lafayette a 9-8 win over James Madison in the first game of a non-conference baseball series on Friday afternoon at Long Field/Mauck Stadium.
LC improved to 3-1 while JMU dropped to 3-4 after having a three-game winning streak snapped.
Lafayette scored the game-winning run without the aid of a hit. Froio walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After an intentional walk, both runners advanced on a passed ball. JMU junior David Edwards (Ocala, Fla./St. Cloud) entered and threw a wild pitch allowing Froio to score.
The Dukes went down in order in the bottom of the 12th to end the game.
Senior Daniel Bierce continued his hot start for the Leopards, going 4-for-6 with two runs, three RBIs, and a walk. He doubled twice and tripled. Junior Matt Hall, sophomore A.J. Miller, and junior A.J. Pisarri each went 3-for-6 with Pisarri scoring three times.
Sophomore Corey Shea earned the win in relief with one hit allowed and four strikeouts in three innings. Sophomore Zach Fritz started and allowed three runs on five hits with five strikeouts in six innings for the Leopards. He ran his scoreless inning streak to start the season to 11 before JMU finally struck for three runs in the sixth.
Sophomore James Weiner (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne’s-Belfield) took the loss for JMU, allowing the unearned winning run and walking two. Freshman Evan Scott (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) started and allowed three runs, one earned, on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. He benefited from four of JMU’s five double plays in the game, one shy of the school record. Redshirt sophomore Trevor Knight (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne’s-Belfield) pitched the ninth, 10th, and 11th allowing two hits with five strikeouts.
Redshirt junior Matt Townsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield) had two hits and a walk for the Dukes, driving in three on a three-run home run to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Knight walked twice, singled, lifted a sacrifice fly, and scored twice. Senior Brett Garner (Burke, Va./Lake Braddock) had a two-run home run.
After the teams traded goose eggs for five innings, LC finally broke the game open in the sixth with three runs. Pisarri led off with a single and then stole second with one out. A botched grounder to Scott for an error put runners on the corners before Bierce drove in the first run of the game with a double to the corner in right. The Dukes then retired a run at home on an infield grounder for the second out, but Hall laid down an RBI bunt single and junior Brad Weiss singled up the middle for a pair of unearned runs and a 3-0 lead.
JMU came right back with a three spot in the bottom of the inning. Knight reached on a single and Townsend walked before both then advanced a base on a balk. The first JMU run came in on a wild pitch. Garner then launched his first home run of the season just over the wall in left field to tie the game 3-3.
The Leopards jumped back in front in the seventh. With runners on second and third, senior Jeff Butler singled up the middle to drive in the first run. Bierce followed with a triple to the gap in left center to plate two more runs for a 6-3 LC lead. Another run came on a fielder’s choice grounder that junior second baseman Mike Fabiaschi (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) initially threw home but the runner stayed. Garner threw to first to catch the runner rounding the base but his throw went into right field for an error, allowing the run to score. JMU escaped the jam with its fifth double play of the game.
The Dukes earned two back in the seventh. Junior Kent Burford (Waynesboro, Va./Stuarts Draft) reached on a passed ball on a strikeout. He moved to second on a walk by junior Alex Foltz (Mathias, W.Va./East Hardy) then scored on Herbek’s double to left. The hit extended his streak to 12 games. Foltz then came in from third on a sacrifice fly by Knight to pull JMU within 7-5.
Lafayette loaded the bases with one out in the eighth and brought in one run when Alex Bechta was hit by a pitch by sophomore Kevin Munson (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring).
JMU fought back in the ninth with a one-out walk by Foltz followed by a two-out walk by Knight. Townsend then lifted a three-run blast to left on a two ball, one-strike pitch to tie the game at 8-8 and send it to extra innings.
The Dukes had a great opportunity to put the game away in the 11th with Fabiaschi reaching on an infield single, stealing second, and Foltz walking. Both runners advanced on a double steal to set up second and third with nobody down. However, Shea recovered to strike out Herbek after falling behind 3-1. An intentional walk loaded the bases before a strikeout and a fielder’s choice groundout ended it.
NOTE: The remainder of the weekend schedule has been altered by the weather forecast. JMU and Lafayette will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. instead of separate games Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. as originally scheduled.
Courtesy: JMUSports.com
