The James Madison Dukes opened conference play with a dominant showing, rolling over the Georgia Southern Eagles 14-6 in a game that was dominated by the sixth inning, an inning where the Dukes scored six runs, creating separation in what was a competitive game up until that point.
The Dukes were the first team to get on the board after Kyle Langley scored a run after a sacrifice fly by Reece Moody in the bottom of the first inning. The Dukes held the Eagles scoreless for another inning and added onto the lead after Cameron Aycock doubled, and then a few moments later, he scored after an RBI single by Wyatt Campbell. Campbell himself scored later in the inning after a double to left field by Jack Anderson. Ryan Gocio scored later, and at the end of the second inning, James Madison increased the lead to 4-0.
Georgia Southern clawed its way back in the game in the third and fourth innings. In the top of the third, they scored one run on a Sean White fielder’s choice that allowed Mason Gazaway to score. They added more runs at the top of the fourth, with Nico Senese hitting a two-run homer to center field, allowing him and Max Prozny to score. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly by James McCoy gave way for Brady Christman to slip through and get a run. After those plays, the Eagles evened up the score at 4-4.
FREAKO goes yard!! 🫣
Top 3: GS 3 | JMU 4#HailSouthern pic.twitter.com/U1Dcbkdieg
— Georgia Southern Baseball (@GSAthletics_BSB) March 13, 2026
James Madison responded in the bottom of the fifth after Ike Schmidly scored on a sacrifice bunt by Jack Guerrero. Clay Thompson hit a single up the middle, and Moody, who was at second base, ran in for the score. These plays gave James Madison a little breathing room at the end of the fifth inning.
An explosion in the sixth inning really broke the game open and allowed James Madison to really coast the rest of the way. There were several fielding errors on behalf of the Eagles, which allowed for the Dukes to have runners on second and third base. A single up the middle by Guerrero allowed for Langley and Anderson to both go in for scores, making it 8-4.
Ike driving in a pair!
B6 | JMU 8, GS 4#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/jdOJMZQ3up
— JMU Baseball (@JMUBaseball) March 13, 2026
Thompson had a sacrifice fly to left field, and Schmidly scored off that. Back-to-back home runs by Jack Cannizzaro and Campbell, the home run being a two RBI, saw the lead balloon to 12-4.
Georgia Southern scored in the seventh on a home run by Sean White, but James Madison really put the nail in the coffin with another home run by Schmidly. That double homer made the score 14-5.
Ike, that ball had a family…
B7 | JMU 14, GS 5#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/A7DdMsLQbq
— JMU Baseball (@JMUBaseball) March 13, 2026
The Eagles scored another run in the ninth, with White hitting a single for Sammy Leis to run home, but that was the ballgame, and James Madison won the first game of this series 14-6.
A big key for the Dukes getting this one was the change at pitcher, going from Max Khule to Jaden Kinsler. The change happened in the top of the fourth, and after that change, the Eagles only scored three goals the rest of the way.
It was an all-around showing for the Dukes, with nine players recording runs, and Langley, Schmidly, and Campbell being responsible for multiple runs. Schmidly had four RBIs.
After getting off to a quick start and then allowing the Eagles back in the game, it was a dominant sixth inning that was really the difference for the Dukes in this one.
These two teams will face each other again on Saturday, for the second meeting in this three-game series.
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