SOFTBALL DUKES WIN TWO IN LAST AT-BAT

Saturday, March 20

Harrisonburg, Va.

2:00 p.m.

James Madison University

11-13

Winthrop

13-9

James Madison

Winthrop

3/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HARRISONBURG, Va., March 20, 2010 - James Madison sophomore second baseman Caitlen Manning (Prince George, Va./Prince George) delivered a walk-off single against Pittsburgh and the Dukes scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning against Winthrop as the JMU softball team won a pair of games in its final at-bat on Saturday. JMU defeated Winthrop 7-6 in eight innings and later downed Pittsburgh 6-5 in the JMU Days Inn Invitational at Veterans Memorial Park on Saturday.

The Dukes improved to 12-13 overall and 2-2 in the tournament. Winthrop went 0-2 on the day to fall to 13-9, while Pittsburgh's split on Saturday ran its record to 10-11.

Manning's walk-off hit came with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. The sophomore laced an 0-1 offering from right-hander Cory Berliner back up the middle, the ball deflected off Berliner's glove to second baseman Kristen Cheesebrew, allowing junior catcher Katie Spitzer (Broadway, Va./Broadway) to score the winning run. Spitzer led off the inning with a single to left field, ahead of a sacrifice bunt by junior third baseman Lauren Robison (St. Leonard, Md./Calvert). After an infield single by sophomore shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers), junior pitcher Olivia McPherson (Liberty, N.C./Southern Alamance) hit a chopper to second, reaching when Cheesebrew threw home to chase Spitzer back to third.

Manning's hit was the third walk-off win for the Dukes this season, joining freshman outfielder Jasmine Butler's (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) walk-off homer against Seton Hall and bases-loaded walk against Longwood.

Spitzer went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while freshman right fielder Lori Botkin (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) and senior first baseman Shannon Moxey (Church Road, Va./Mills Godwin) had two RBI each.

McPherson picked up the win to improve to 3-1 this season. She went the distance for Madison, giving up eight hits, five runs, four earned runs, while walking three and striking out one.

Berliner took the loss to