May 8, 2004
HARRISONBURG, VA-- Steven Harris (Va. Beach, VA.) singled home Allen Strick (GlenBurnie, MD.) in the tenth inning to give ODU a 3-2 victory over James Madison Saturdayafternoon. ODU is now 18-24 overall and 7-9 in the CAA, while JMU is 26-18 overall and7-9 in the CAA.
Donnie Smith came on in the bottom of the tenth inning to pick up his third save ofthe year. He retired the side in order, fanning one. In all, Smith and Verlander combinedfor 18 strikeouts in ten innings, a new ODU school mark.
Justin Verlander (Goochland, Va.) picked up his fifth win of the season as he fanned17 batters, tying his career high set as a freshman against JMU. Verlander walked onlythree and scattered five hits through nine innings of work. He now has 401 careerstrikeouts in just 315 innings, the most in CAA and ODU history.
JMU took the lead first on a solo homerun by Dan Santobianco in the fifth inning. ODUcame back in the top of the sixth with two runs. Brandon Carter (Sacramento, CA.) ledoff with a walk, then scored from first on a double by Steven Harris. Harris thenscored on a single by Justin Gregula (Washington, PA.).
JMU tied the game in the bottom of the eighth as Nate Schill singled home BrandonBowser with an unearned run.
In the top of the tenth, Allen Strick reached on a JMU error. Carter was thenhit with a pitch and Harris singled over the thirdbase to give the Monarchsthe lead. Harris now leads ODU in runs batted in with 24 and is hitting .335.
The previous ODU team mark of 17 strikeouts in a game was shared by Verlanderagainst JMU as a freshman in 2002, and on March 29, 1991 at Maryland-EasternShore by Kirky Demyan(11) Sean Hennessy(3) & Wayne Gomes(3).
The two teams play again on Saturday at 2 p.m. at JMU's Long/Mauck Field.
ODU 000 002 000 1=3-8-1JMU 000 010 010 0=2-5-1
WP: Verlander (5-5)LP: Ryan Lobbon(2-2)SA: Donnie Smith (3)HR: JMU-Santobianco