West Virginia set the tone early on Tuesday at Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers scored eight runs in the first inning, which set the tone for the Mountaineers as they rolled to an 11-1 (8 inn.) win over James Madison.
Brodie Kresser led the game off and was caught looking on a borderline strike-three call, but it was all downhill from there for the Dukes.
The next eight Mountaineer batters went: walk, single, hit by pitch, hit by pitch, walk, single, walk, home run, as all eight batters to step to the plate scored.
It was more of a disciplined approach from West Virginia early as Logan Sauve walked and then Jace Rinehart and Gavin Kelly were hit by pitches. Skylar King then also walked, before Chase Swain scored two on a single up the middle. Swain would then allow King to score as he stole second and JMU couldn't handle the throw from the pitcher. Then, Kyle West also walked, setting the table for Grant Hussey.
Hussey, hitting at the bottom of the Mountaineer lineup, gave no breaks to James Madison. He went 409 feet to the opposite field, a three-run blast, and the 40th of his career, as one time through the lineup West Virginia led 8-0.
That would be more than enough for the Mountaineer pitching staff.
Mac Stiffler got the start, tossing 3.0 innings and allowing one run while striking out three.
From that point on, West Virginia's staff held James Madison scoreless, while they used four different pitchers in the process.
While the Mountaineers rotated arms on the mound, they also rotated bats in the lineup. 15 guys saw action at the plate. The Mountaineers were still patient, working 11 base on balls, while they also had nine total hits.
Those other bats added runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. In the sixth it was Ben Lumsden getting hit by a pitch to score a run. In the seventh it was Michael Perazza scoring Kresser on a line out. And in the eighth, it was Jorge Valdes singling home a run.
Timothy Tyler got the start for JMU on the mound and his outing was less than desirable. He threw 40 pitches, but just 18 of them were strikes. He got only one out, giving up seven runs, and two hits, while walking three. Each of the four JMU pitchers that followed also allowed a run.
West Virginia improves to 17-1 on the season with the win and these two teams will play one more game in their two-game midweek series, set for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
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