CONWAY, S.C. – James Madison’s Adam Sisk hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning and another three-run shot in the fifth to lead the Dukes to an 11-3 victory over ninth-ranked Coastal Carolina Sunday afternoon at Spring Brooks Stadium.
A crowd of 2,488 was on hand Sunday, the eighth-largest, on-campus crowd I school history, and put the opening-weekend crowd at 9,545, a CCU record for a regular-season three-game set. Coastal will wrap the 18th annual Caravelle Resort’s Baseball at the Beach by hosting St. John’s at Noon on Monday.
For the Dukes Sunday, Sisk finished the day with six RBI while Kyle McPherson added three hits and scored three times.
In the first inning, both JMU’s and CCU’s leadoff hitters singled up the middle and their second hitters singled to center. The Dukes went on to load the bases, but CCU freshman pitcher Raffi Vazquez escaped unscathed. The Chants but runners on second and third but also came up empty.
Coastal took advantage of a JMU error to get on the scoreboard in the second. Leadoff hitter Cory Wood lined a single to center and an error on the play allowed the freshman ended up on third base. Jordan Gore laid down a perfect bunt for an RBI single to bring home Wood for a 1-0 lead.
James Madison grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third. After a single and walk, Josh Wyatt hit a two-out, two-run triple off the center field wall. Wyatt then scored on a fielding error on a Garrett Marchand ground ball.
The Dukes put another three spot on the board in the fourth. Mike Sciorra drew a leadoff walk, Kyle McPherson singled and Sisk cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left.
The Chants trimmed their deficit to four, 6-2, in the bottom of the fourth. Matt Beaird walked with two outs and Wood Myers followed with an RBI double down the right field line.
JMU got that run back and four more in the fifth for an 11-2 advantage. Marchand hit a leadoff single and, with two outs, Sciorra had an infield single. Ky Parrott followed with an RBI single to right field to plate Marchand. McPherson was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Sciorra scored on a wild pitch. Then, for the second time in as many innings, Sisk hit a three-run home run with this one clearing the center field wall.
Kevin Woodall Jr., belted his second home run of the weekend to make the score 11-3 in the seventh to provide the eventual final score.
JMU starter Josh Silvestri allowed seven hits over 3.2 innings, but only allowed two runs. Matt Colon earned the win as he pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Coastal’s Vazquez suffered the loss as he allowed five hits, four runs (three earned) and three walks in three innings.
