James Madison lost its third game in a row to Southern Mississippi at home, 10-5. They got swept by their conference foe. This score was a little better than the 11-0 loss, but a loss is a loss. The Dukes must have felt good with their freshman ace left-hander on the mound, but even he was hit hard by the No. 12-ranked Golden Eagles.
Tyler Lutz pitched 4.2 innings for the Dukes, but he gave up seven runs, four earned, and took the loss. There were some hitting stars for James Madison who scored some runs, just not enough. With the home sweep, this is officially a lost season for the Dukes, who must now look to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Do you think they will?
James Madison and Southern Mississippi Game Summary
Lutz was hit hard, and the Dukes lost 10-5. Southern Mississippi scored one run in the second inning, and that was all of the scoring in this game until the fifth inning. The Golden Eagles scored six runs, and the Dukes scored four. The Southern Mississippi runs were scored on three singles and a double.
In the bottom of the inning, Kyle Langely hit a three-run home run for the Dukes in a four-run response. However, it was not to be for JMU as Southern Mississippi scored three runs in the eighth inning. That made the score 10-4. James Madison scored a meaningless run in the ninth inning. That made the final score of the game 10-5.
Swept at Home
With the loss, James Madison was swept at home. It is true that Southern Mississippi is ranked 12th and is a superior team, but they are also a conference opponent. The Dukes were soundly beaten, and today the Golden Eagles defeated the JMU ace.
The Dukes fell to 20-30 and 10-17 in the Sun Belt conference, while the Golden Eagles improved to 37-16 overall and 9-8 in conference. The Dukes have one more conference series left, next weekend at Old Dominion. This is a more manageable opponent, but every opponent is tough for the Dukes, who have struggled all season.
Hitting Stars
For James Madison, Langley was 2-of-3 with a home run and 4 RBI. He also scored a run and walked. He is hitting .324 on the season and has now reached base in 17 consecutive games. His four runs batted in tied his career high. Reece Moody and Jack Guerrero were both 2-for-4 in the game. Even the run they scored in the ninth inning was on a double play.
For the Golden Eagles, there were more hitting stars. Davis Gillespie was 3-of-5 with two runs scored. Ben Higdon was 3-for-4 with a run scored and four runs batted in. Ty Long was also 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored. Camden Sunstrom pitched fairly well for them. He went five innings, getting the win, but he did give up seven hits and four runs. Two relief pitchers combined to pitch four innings. They only surrendered one run.
The Future
With such a poor record and so few games left, James Madison must be thinking about the future. The first, and most important, future engagement for the Dukes in the conference tournament, which takes place at the end of this month. If the team wins, they will play in the NCAA Tournament. If not, the season will end.
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