James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
James Madison University
Drexel
DUKES TAKE TWO FROM DREXEL
4/18/2009 9:15:00 PM | Softball
HARRISONBURG, Va., April 18, 2009 ? JMU got a walk-off double from sophomore designated player Katie Spitzer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) and a four-hit shutout from senior right-hander Jenny Clohan (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) as the Dukes swept a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader over Drexel University at the JMU Softball Complex on Saturday. The Dukes won game one 3-2 before dropping the Dragons 4-0 in game two.
Madison improved to 25-13 overall and 5-8 in the CAA while Drexel fell 20-15 and 6-7.
Clohan threw her 11th complete game and fourth shutout of the season as she shut down the DU attack in game two to improve to 13-8 on the season. The senior allowed four hits, walked none, struck out four and threw 75 of her 108 pitches for strikes.
Offensively, JMU scored a pair of runs in the third and fifth innings to give Clohan the lead. Junior right fielder Courtney Simons (Richmond, Va./Deep Run) kicked things off in the third, singling through the right side before being lifted with an injury. Freshman pinch runner Gillian Giarrizzo (Suffolk, Va./King's Fork) moved to second on a single to center by Spitzer and scored one batter later on senior third baseman Amber Kirk's (Hamilton, Va./Loudoun County) RBI single. Freshman shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) capped off the inning with a double to left center, scoring Spitzer.
Madison capitalized on a pair of Dragon miscues in the fifth to add a pair of insurance runs. Burnham started off the inning with a one-out single before moving to third on a single into the right-center gap by senior catcher Julia Dominguez (Sterling, Va./Park View). Senior pinch runner Megan Forbes (Fincastle, Va./Lord Botetourt) stole second during the ensuing at bat, drawing a throw from catcher Ashley Botelho. Botelho's throw was cut off by DU pitcher Katrina Gaudier, who tried to throw out Burnham at the plate, but the return throw was dropped by Botelho. Forbes was thrown out at third, trying to take an extra base on the play.
