BOONE, N.C. – A big seventh inning for JMU proved to be too much for the Mountaineers to overcome on Saturday, dropping the middle game of the three-game series to the Dukes, 19-8, at Smith Stadium.
Andrew Terrell led the Mountaineers at the plate, going 3-for-3, including a game-tying home run in the fourth inning, and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Terrell has combined for six hits across the first two games of the series.
App State (20-19, 10-9) opened the scoring with a five-run second inning in which they batted around. After back-to-back walks began the inning,
Braxton Church tallied an RBI single and Terrell followed with an RBI double to put the Mountaineers in front. After a sac fly from
CJ Boyd made it 3-0,
Hayden Cross extended his on-base streak to 28 straight games with an RBI single through the left side.
After Terrell's home run tied the game at 6-6 in the fourth, Cross blasted his fifth homer of the season later in the inning to put App State ahead, 8-6.
The Black and Gold carried that two-run lead into the seventh inning, but the Dukes mounted a two-out rally, scoring eight times in the inning to go in front for good.
Grey LaSpaluto matched a career-high with 4.1 innings pitched out of the bullpen for the Mountaineers.
The rubber game of the series is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, with
Caleb Cross getting the ball for the Mountaineers, opposite Ryan Murphy for the Dukes.
