FAIRFAX, Va. – In the rubber match of a conference series, the James Madison baseball team took an early lead and slowly built on it as they claimed the weekend tilt over the Patriots with a 5-2 win on Sunday afternoon at Spuhler Field.
JMU picked up the CAA series with the win, improving to 6-2 in the conference and 13-9 overall, while Mason dropped to 4-5 in the CAA and 11-12 overall.
JMU slowly built its lead, tacking a single run on the scoreboard in the second and third innings. Mason starter Jake Kalish got his first batter of the second to strikeout and gave up a hit to Ty McFarland before leaving the game with an injury. Taylor Hunt came on in relief and his first batter reached on a strikeout swinging, wild pitch which also advanced McFarland to third. Tyler Duke then reached on a fielder's choice that was hit to Blaise Fernandez, who threw home to catch McFarland in a rundown and save a run from scoring. However, Cole McInturff then stepped to the plate and delivered a single to right field, bringing in a run and giving the Dukes the lead.
For JMU in the third, Chad Carroll hit a one out single, stole second and eventually came home on a single by Conner Brown to add to the lead, 2-0
Chris Payne came on in relief in the fifth and retired his first two batters before allowing a walk and a single to put runners on the corners for the Dukes. Anthony Montefusco, who started the day as the designated hitter, then came on to pitch and gave up an RBI single to McFarland, extending the JMU lead to 3-0.
Two more runs came home for the Dukes in the sixth, as Johnny Bladel and Carroll connected on back-to-back RBI hits with one on and two out for a 5-0 advantage.
Mason chipped away at the lead, registering two runs of its own in the home half of the sixth. Duncan Satherlie led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on an error and third on a wild pitch and after Tucker Tobin struck out, Fernandez walked to leave runners at the corners. Montefusco got the Patriots on the board with a single to center, scoring Satherlie and moving Fernandez to third. Montefusco and Fernandez then both advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch, brining Fernandez home and pulling the Patriots to within three runs, 5-2.
However, Mason was unable to draw any closer, putting just two hits on the board over the final three innings as it lost its second conference series of the season.
Kalish was saddled with the loss, evening his record at 1-1 after 1.1 IP and allowing the go-ahead run with two strikeouts. Hunt threw 2.2 innings of relief, giving up a run on three hits with two strikeouts, while Payne finished with one run on one hits with a walk in 0.2 innings of work. Montefusco closed out the game, and allowed two runs on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Montefusco also led the Mason offense with a 2-for-3, one RBI performance.
Improving to 3-0, Howerton threw 5.1 innings and allowed just one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Closer Chris Huffman picked up his fourth save of the season after working the final 1.2 innings.
Mason returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to face Maryland at 4:00 p.m. in College Park.
