The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) baseball team lost both games of a doubleheader against James Madison University (JMU) on Saturday in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The first game, which was suspended from Friday and resumed in the bottom of the fourth inning, ended with JMU defeating ETSU 11-1 in seven innings. In the second game, JMU secured the series win with a 6-4 victory.
In the opening game, ETSU held a 1-0 lead going into Saturday but quickly fell behind after JMU hit a three-run home run off ETSU’s new pitcher. The Dukes continued their offensive surge with another three-run homer, a solo shot, and an RBI single to take a commanding 9-1 lead by the fifth inning. Two more runs in the sixth extended JMU’s advantage to 11-1. ETSU managed only one hit in the seventh before JMU closed out the run-rule win.
The second contest saw ETSU hit three home runs but struggle to generate additional offense. Curless provided two solo homers for his first multi-home run game as a Buccaneer, while Conner added another home run—his fifth of the season—and an RBI single. Despite these efforts, JMU responded with solo home runs in consecutive innings and broke away further with a two-run homer and an RBI single in the fifth inning.
Conner’s ninth-inning home run gave ETSU some hope for a comeback, but JMU reliever Luke McGrath recorded two strikeouts and a groundout to end the game.
With these losses, ETSU’s record moves to 9-5 this season. The teams are scheduled to conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., which will be broadcast on ESPN+. More information about Buccaneer baseball can be found at ETSUBucs.com under the baseball section.
