Diamond Dukes pound Rams

Butia blasts 2 home runs

Katelyn Wyszynski / staff photographer First basemen sophomore Mitchell Moses makes a play during the Dukes' doubleheader against Fordham University Saturday.

In the Diamond Dukes first game of their doubleheader against Fordham University, coach Spanky McFarland's team displayed their youth, who had an array of mental mistakes, translating into four errors. Nevertheless, the young squad still managed to stage a dramatic ninth-inning rally to win the first of the three-game weekend series against the Rams, 10-9.

After Fordham's half of the fifth inning, the Diamond Dukes found themselves down 8-2. However, McFarland said the team's youth served them well to help rally back from a six-run deficit.

"The team is young enough that they don't think they are ever out of [winning] a game," McFarland said.

Most of the early problems for the Diamond Dukes occurred over a sloppy fourth inning in the field. Five hits for the Rams — combined with three errors by JMU — led to a five-run inning. The inning also included junior starting right-handed pitcher Brian Leatherwood's departure from the game, who was almost literally knocked out by the Ram's second baseman Kurt Thomas. Thomas smacked a line drive hard off Leatherwood's leg, and then advanced to second on a throwing error. McFarland said the junior was not hurt on the play, and it did not enter into his decision to remove him after Thomas' at-bat.

After Leatherwood's departure from the game, the Rams were held to 1 run over the next five and two-thirds innings by the freshman combo of southpaw Trevor Kaylid and right hander Bobby Lasko. Their work keeping the Rams off the scoreboard allowed the Diamond Dukes to mount their comeback.

The sixth inning was highlighted by a 2-run home run by Diamond Duke sophomore second baseman Michael Cowgill which represented half of the 4 runs that brought JMU within 2 runs of the Rams. Cowgill has hit safely in all 10 games this year.

"I don't go out there thinking about it," Cowgill said. "Every at-bat, I'm just trying to make something happen."

After an RBI single in the seventh inning by red-shirt freshman designated hitter Dan Santobianco, the Diamond Dukes failed to score until they were down to their final two outs.

The Ram's relief pitcher, Shaun Seales, retired Cowgill on a fly out which brought junior right fielder Mike Butia to the plate. Butia, who recently was recognized by the Colonial Athletic Association as its Co-Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 22, took very little time to make his case as consecutive Player of the Week honors, as he took Seales' pitch and deposited it well behind the right-centerfield wall. Butia's blast was so impressive that Ram's center fielder Tim Short never moved to make an attempt to make a play on the ball.

After Butia's home run, Seales walked sophomore third baseman Nate Schill. Like Butia, Schill placed a ball behind the fence in right-center field with a solo homerun in the first inning.

After Schill was spelled by freshman pinch-runner Brandon Bowser, sophomore first baseman Mitchell Moses landed a walk off Seales. With one out and two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, the stage was set for Santobianco.

Santobianco already had delivered two key hits in the game when he ripped Seales' pitch down the left field line. Bowser sprinted around third and crossed home plate, but he couldn't do it before his teammates from the dugout came to congratulate him.

Despite the four errors that helped dig them into a hole early in the game, the Diamond Dukes showed a great deal of poise and confidence in their sixth win of the year.

Fordham defeated the Diamond Dukes 10-2 in the second half of the doubleheader.

Sophomore catcher Matt Sluder had two hits and an RBI for the Diamond Dukes, while Butia chipped in with a RBI double.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Travis Miller picked up the loss, dropping his record to 2-1 on the season. Miller tossed four innings, giving up 2 earned runs and striking out eight.

Sunday, JMU topped the Rams, 12-3 — taking two of three games in the weekend series.

Butia led the Diamond Dukes, going 4-4 with a career-high five RBIs, including a pair of two and three-run home runs.

Schill and freshman shortstop Davis Stoneburner each went 3-5, with two RBIs, while Santobianco added a solo home run.

Red-shirt sophomore southpaw Greg Nesbitt picked up the win, retiring ten Rams in a row at one point. He surrendered 2 earned runs over seven innings.

JMU's next home game is at 2:30 p.m. March 3, when George Washington University visits.