Coming off an exciting 10-8 win on Friday, JMU baseball was in search of another to clinch the three-game weekend series. Louisiana, the No. 1 pitching team in the Sun Belt, lost 13-2 to the Dukes.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Todd Mozoki started on the mound for the Dukes. In the first, he gave up one run from an RBI double by Louisiana junior catcher Julian Brock. Sophomore outfielder Connor Higgs tried to give the Cajuns another run in but was ultimately thrown out byby redshirt junior shortstop Mason Dunaway all the way in center field.
“I was just proud of how he competed,” JMU head coach Marlin Ikenberry said.
In the third inning only down by one, JMU knew it needed to pick it up if they wanted a win.
Sophomore outfielder Fenwick Trimble got the ball rolling for JMU with an RBI double down the left field line allowed Dunaway to score. Shortly after, with Trimble on third, redshirt senior infielder Kyle Novak got an RBI single, bringing Trimble around to score.
With the bases loaded, sophomore outfielder Ryan Dooley acquired a three-run RBI double to left center field. Everything was clicking for JMU, as they ended the inning up 7-1.
“We work really hard on our approach for everything so when we stick to it, it works out most of the time,” Trimble said.
As the game entered the bottom of the fifth, Trimble was 2-2 looking to go 3-3. He did exactly that as he homered to left center field, putting JMU up 8-2 and earning his 10th home run this season.
In his third at-bat, looking for his third hit, Ryan Dooley had the bases loaded for himself once again. While at the last at-bat Dooley remained on second, he brought it home, homering to right field putting JMU up 12-2 entering the 5th.
“We knew what we wanted to do,” Dooley said. “I think we wanted a lot of good pitches and we got a lot of good pitches.”
After hitting three batters, Mozoki was taken out in the fifth and was replaced by freshman Jaden Kinsler.
JMU kept beating down on the Louisiana pitching rotation, as Trimble acquired his 11th homer with a blast to right field, going 4-4 and putting JMU up 13-2.
“I think he’s a guy where there will be some scouts looking at him next year,” Ikenbery said. “Staying with his approach and our approach as a team is what’s so good about [Trimble].”
Searching to close out the game, Kinsler delivered, securing the win from JMU.
“He’s got great stuff,” Ikenberry said. “He just went out and did exactly what we needed him to do.”
JMU (22-16, 7-8 Sun Belt) and Louisiana (26-14, 10-7 Sun Belt) play the third and final game of the weekend series Sunday at 12 p.m.
