HARRISONBURG, Va. – Senior centerfielder Colby Roberts smashed a walk-off home run over the rightfield fence with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as James Madison University (22-26, 10-13) kept its Colonial Athletic Association hopes alive with a wild 8-7 CAA victory over the Tigers (23-27, 12-12) in the third and deciding game of their three-game CAA weekend series at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Dukes won the series after dropping the series opener.
After Towson had taken a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth inning, third baseman Ty McFarland drew a one-out walk on a 3-2 pitch from junior righthander Nik Nowottnick. On his Nowottnick's next pitch, Roberts drilled his game-winning home run over the rightfield fence, giving the Dukes the win.
In a game that was tied three times, the Tigers entered the ninth inning with a 6-5 deficit. Junior designated hitter Kurt Wertz led off the ninth inning with a game-tying home run over the rightfield fence. It was his fifth hit of the game.
Sophomore leftfielder Peter Bowles doubled to left centerfield, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. After junior rightfielder Dominic Fratantuono popped up to shortstop, senior catcher Andrew Parker drew a walk. When junior shortstop Hunter Bennett also walked, the Tigers had the bases loaded with one out.
The Tigers took a 7-6 lead when sophomore first baseman Brendan Butler grounded into a force play as Bowles scored the go-ahead run. Sophomore righthander Chris Huffman worked out of the inning when he got centerfielder Richie Blosser to ground out to shortstop.
That set the stage for the Dukes' come-from-behind victory in their final home game of the season.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when junior second baseman Pat Fitzgerald drew a one-out walk and went to second base on a single Wertz. Bowles gave the Tigers a lead when he singled to left, scoring Fitzgerald. But, the Tigers couldn't add any more runs as Fratantuono lined out to shortstop and Parker grounded out to third base.
In the third inning, Bowles gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead when he blasted a two-run homer to right after Wertz had singled.
The Tigers missed a great chance to add to their lead in the fifth inning. With two outs, Fitzgerald walked and Wertz singled. A walk to Bowles loaded the bases. However, sophomore righthander Patrick Toohers struck out Fratantuono to end the inning.
In the sixth inning, the Tigers had runners on first and third with two outs before Fisher struck out.
After shutting out the Dukes on two hits through the first five innings, junior righthander Brandon Gonnella ran into trouble in the sixth inning. With one out, McFarland was hit by a pitch. Roberts doubled to right, driving in McFarland to cut the Dukes' deficit to 3-1. Leftfielder Chad Carroll reached on an infield single to third base as Roberts stayed at second base. When shortstop Casey Goss singled to left, the Dukes had the bases loaded.
Second baseman Connor Brown delivered a double down the left field line that plated Roberts and Carroll with the tying runs. However, Bowles and Fisher teamed up to throw out Goss, trying to score from first base. Gonnella retired McInturff on a fly ball to end the inning.
Junior righthander Trent Cundiff relieved Toohers at the start of the seventh inning. With one out, Wertz singled to right. With two outs, Frantantuono belted a two-run homer over the rightfield fence, giving Towson a 5-3 lead. After Parker drew a walk, Huffman relieved Cundiff. He pitched out of the inning by retiring shortstop Hunter Bennett on a fly ball to centerfield.
The Tigers' 5-3 lead was short-lived.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Tyler Gregory homered to cut the Tigers' lead to 5-4. It was his first home run of the season. Centerfielder Johnny Bladel and McFarland followed with back-to-back singles. When Roberts singled to left center, Bladel scored the tying run.
Nowottnick relieved Gonnella. He hit Carroll with a pitch to load the bases. When Goss grounded out to second base, McFarland scored to give the Dukes a 6-5 lead. Brown grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.
Each team had 11 hits in the game. Wertz, who batted .667 in the three-game series against JMU, was five-for-five with four singles and a home run. Bowles was three-for-four with two runs and three RBI's.
Roberts had three hits and drove in four runs to lead the Dukes.
The Tigers, who are now 12-12 in the CAA, close out the regular season with a three-game series against Northeastern this week. Towson is currently sixth in the CAA and clinch a berth in the CAA playoffs against the Huskies.
