Harrisonburg, Va. – Georgia State jumped in front with four runs in the first inning, but James Madison rallied with four in the bottom of the eighth to earn an 8-5 victory Sunday at Eagle Field at Veteran's Memorial Park in the deciding game of the Colonial Athletic Association series.
Georgia State lost for just the third time in its last 13 games, despite playing its eighth straight road game, to fall to 26-16, 6-9 in the CAA. James Madison improved to 18-21, 8-12 CAA.
Josh Merrigan led off the game for GSU with a single and moved to third on Chase Raffield's single. After Chris Triplett walked to load the bases, Caden Bailey also walked, bringing home Merrigan with the first run of the game.
With two outs, Mark Hogan belted the 1-1 pitch to center field for a two-run double, scoring Raffield and Triplett. Then Chad Prain legged out an infield single to third base, scoring Bailey from third and putting the Panthers ahead, 4-0.
Georgia State extended its lead in the fifth inning as Raffield ripped his second home run of the weekend and his team-leading ninth of the season, a solo blast to right field that put the Panthers ahead 5-0.
But James Madison got to GSU starter Andrew Fessler in the bottom of the fifth, pushing across four runs to pull within 5-4. Fessler opened the game with four straight scoreless innings with six strikeouts but he also walked six before giving way to Aidan McLaughlin with one out in the fifth. With two on and out, JMU strung together three straight hits, including back-to-back doubles by Colby Roberts and pinch hitter Casey Goss, to plate its four runs.
Georgia State maintained its one-run lead by working out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings before JMU broke through in the eighth. In both the sixth and seventh, the Dukes got a runner to third base with two outs, but both times, McLaughlin got inning-ending groundouts. The junior right-hander did not allow a run in 2-2/3 innings of relief with two strikeouts.
After allowing four runs in the first, JMU starter Johnny Bladel settled down and pitched five scoreless innings. His final line was six innings pitched, four runs, all earned, on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts but he did not figure in the decision.
Bladel stayed in the game as the designated hitter and led off the eighth inning with a single off reliever Connor Stanley (4-2). With one out, JMU loaded the bases on a hit batter and a walk, and then Chad Carroll gave the Dukes their first lead, 6-5, with a double to right field that scored two runs, and then JMU added insurance on a two-run single by Colby Roberts off reliever Nick Squeglia.
Down 8-5, Georgia State brought the tying run to plate in the ninth. After Prain led off with walk, Joey Roach hit a sharp line drive, but the ball was caught by the second baseman. Josh Merrigan reached on an error to keep the Panthers alive with runners at first and third with one out, but Drew Shields hit into a game-ending double play.
“They had two big innings and we couldn't recover,” said GSU head coach Greg Frady. “I'm disappointed and frustrated because this was a game where we did not play well enough to win. We walked too many, hit too many, got behind in counts … we were just not on point today. We didn't have the energy and the pace that we need.
“I was happy that we came out and scored runs early, but maybe that gave us a false sense of security,” Frady continued. “We lost focus and did not execute. We just were not strong enough to win on the road. We have to find a way to get better.”
JMU reliever Michael Church (4-1) was credited with the victory after two innings of scoreless relief, and Chris Huffman pitched the ninth inning for his seventh save.
Georgia State returns home to host Savannah State Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex in the Panthers' only home date during a 12-game stretch. After Tuesday's game, which will air on WRAS-FM 88.5, GSU is back on the road for the third straight weekend and fourth straight conference series at Northeastern, beginning Friday in Boston, Mass.
--30—
