JMU SOFTBALL TOPS AKRON 3-1

Saturday, February 20

Charleston, S.C.

4:00 p.m.

James Madison University

2-2

Akron

2-1

James Madison

Akron

2/21/2010 12:45:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 20, 2010 - Freshman right-hander Cara Stecher (New Castle, Del./Caravel Academy) went the distance to pick up her first collegiate win as the JMU softball team beat Akron 3-1 at the CofC Cougar Classic at Patriots Point Field in Charleston, S.C. on Saturday.

The Dukes improved to 2-2 on the season after dropping their early game on Saturday against the College of Charleston. Akron picked up its first lost this season and fell to 2-1.

Stecher bounced from a rough outing against Charleston to control the Zips lineup for seven innings, limiting them to six hits and one earned run. The freshman struck out four and walked four to improve to 1-2 this season.

JMU grabbed the early lead as sophomore designated player Casey Mansfield (Suffolk, Va./Isle of Wight Academy) led off the second inning with a double to left field. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman second baseman Haley Johnson (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) and scored on an infield single by senior left fielder Chel'sea Ryan (Sandston, Va./Henrico).

Mansfield added two runs to the Dukes' lead in the top of the third lacing a two-out single up the middle to score senior first baseman Shannon Moxey (Church Road, Va./Mills Godwin) and sophomore shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers). Moxey started the rally with a one-out single to left before moving to third on Burnham's double down the left field line. Akron right-hander Heather Bauer induced a pop up to get to two outs but could not escape the jam as Mansfield laced a 1-2 pitch back up the middle and passed the diving Zip shortstop.

Mansfield finished the game 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two RBI, while Moxey was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Freshman right fielder Jasmine Butler (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) was 1-for-3 with her first career double.

The Zips put together a threat in the bottom of the seventh inning, putting runners on first and second with nobody out but Stecher induced three straight groundouts to limit the damage to just one run.

Bauer took the loss for Akron to fall to 1-1 this season. She allowed five hits and three earned runs w