Offensive Output Leads Dukes to Series Opening Win

Friday, February 25

Harrisonburg, Va.

3 p.m.

James Madison University

2-3

Fairleigh Dickinson

1-4

Fairleigh Dickinson

James Madison

2/25/2022 6:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – After giving up a first inning run, the James Madison baseball team turned the dial up on their offense, taking the first game of the weekend series, 12-2, against Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Dukes move to 2-3 as the Knights fall to 1-4.

Graduate student Justin Showalter got the start for the Dukes and went 6.1 innings, striking out 10 batters, one away from his career-high. Redshirt junior Trevon Dabney led the Dukes at the plate, collecting a career-high tying three hits and four runs scored while also knocking in two.

How It Happened
FDU scored the first run of the ball game on a bunt single after the leadoff batter of the game singled, stole second, and then moved to third on a wild pitch. The Dukes responded by scoring three runs in the bottom half of the inning, off two singles sandwiched around an RBI sacrifice bunt to lead 3-1. Freshman Fenwick Trimble then added two more runs in the second to make it 5-1 on a double off the right field wall.

The offense took an inning off in the third before firing back up with three runs in the fourth on redshirt sophomore Chase DeLauter's sacrifice fly and a Kyle Novak two-run double, one of Novak's three hits in the game.

After the first two batters of the fifth flew out and the next two reached base, the Dukes added four runs behind back-to-back doubles from Dabney and DeLauter and then a single from Trimble. JMU would lead 12-1 through five, before FDU would get a run back in the seventh on a single to make it 12-2.

The JMU bullpen would finish up the game, getting 1.2 innings from redshirt sophomore Matt Kleinfelter and an inning from redshirt freshman Carmine Poppiti to preserve the win.

Game Notes

Three different Dukes recorded three hits in Trevon Dabney, Fenwick Trimble, and Kyle Novak.
Trimble and Novak both knocked in three runs.
The Dukes hit .571 (8-14) with runners in scoring position.
The last time the Dukes recorded back-to-back games of 12 runs was a doubleheader in the opening weekend against Norfolk State. JMU scored 16 runs in game one and 12 in game two.
Justin Showalter is the first JMU pitcher to toss 10 strikeouts since Kevin Kelly struck out 13 against Towson on May 3, 2019.