HARRISONBURG, Va. – Despite tallying 11 hits in the ballgame on Sunday, App State was unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position, falling 11-5 to JMU in the finale at Veterans Memorial Park.
The Mountaineers (18-11, 5-7) went just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-7 with two outs in the ballgame, while James Madison (19-12, 6-6) scored in each of its final six trips to the plate.
App State scored in the top of the first inning on a
Banks Tolley RBI single to score
Austin St. Laurent who reached on an error, and rallied to take the lead at 5-4 in the sixth on a
Joseph Zamora RBI single, but the Dukes scored seven of the final eight runs on the afternoon.
St. Laurent led the offensive attack with four hits, including a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning, his seventh of the season, extending his hitting streak to ten consecutive games.
Zamora also extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games with a 1-for-3 performance, while
Adam Quintero went 1-for-5 at the plate and has now hit safely in ten games in a row.
Hunter Wilder also homered in the ballgame, a solo shot in the top of the fifth inning to tie the score at 2-2. The Mountaineers later took the lead on a bases loaded hit by pitch of
Braxton Church, but App State grounded into inning-ending double plays in both the fifth and sixth innings to prevent extended rallies.
Mountaineers' starter
Dante Chirico struck out four in 5.2 innings, but suffered his first loss of the season. Of the six runs he allowed, two were unearned and three came as inherited runs after his exit.
App State will return to Smith Stadium on Tuesday, where they will host UNC Asheville at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The 2024 App State Baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
