Flames burn Dukes

Jonathan Taylor / contributing photographer JMU starting pitcher Bobby Lasko prepares to apply the tag. Laso went five and third innings giving up seven hits and three earned runs while striking out six against the Flames Tuesday.

After postponing the game twice this year due to inclement weather, the JMU Diamond Dukes faced off against the Liberty University Flames Tuesday at JMU’s Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

The game saw three lead changes before Liberty won 9-4, improving their season record to 16-7. The Diamond Dukes dropped to 7-14.

JMU’s trouble started early when the Flames scored a pair of unearned runs off an error on a fly ball. Despite this early mishap, JMU sophomore starting right-handed pitcher Bobby Lasko gave up only three earned runs and struck out six. Lasko turned the mound over to junior right-handed pitcher Patrick Riley in the sixth inning. The Diamond Dukes were trailing 6-4.

"I thought Bobby pitched pretty well today," JMU coach Spanky McFarland said. "The first couple of runs that he got were very much wind-blown."

Riley walked the lead off hitter in the seventh inning and gave up three runs before being replaced by sophomore right-handed pitcher Travis Risser. Risser closed out the game, giving up only one run.

Meanwhile, the outfield looked a bit different as freshman Kellen Kulbacki and junior Skyler Doom switched places. Kulbacki moved to center while Doom patrolled left. Kulbacki, who played center field in high school, said he felt more comfortable in his old spot.

"Skyler played left a bit last year and was pretty good at it," McFarland said. "We thought the change was something that would make us better as a unit out there."

Most of JMU’s offense came in the fourth inning. Junior second baseman Michael Cowgill singled in the bottom of the fourth and later scored off of a double by junior third baseman Nate Schill. Junior first baseman Matt Bristow followed Schill with the team’s only home run. The Dukes ended fourth inning ahead of the Flames 3-2.

"The wind was blowing a bit, so I just hit it and let the wind do its thing," Bristow said of his second home run of the season. "I feel a lot more comfortable this year. I changed my stance a little bit and I’ve got a little more rhythm in the box."

Cowgill set a new season best, hitting safely in six consecutive games.

"I’m trying to take more pitches and just look for the one I can hit with," Cowgill said. "I need to get on base so I can get the other guys up and let them do the work and let them hit me in. No matter what, my job is just to get on base."

Sophomore shortstop Davis Stoneburner doubled in the fifth inning to score sophomore designated hitter Dan Santobianco. It the Dukes’ last run.

JMU has been in a hitting slump ever since their 18-hit game against Penn State. They had only six against the Flames Tuesday, however McFarland isn’t worried.

"We had two balls off the wall for singles today because [the other team] happened to be right there," McFarland said. "Any other day that’s a double, maybe a triple."

Kulbacki is confident this slump will be short-lived.

"With the caliber of players we have on this team," he said, "I don’t think it will be too long before we’re swinging the sticks as well as we could be."