SOFTBALL DUKES SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER AT DREXEL

Saturday, May 1

Philadelphia, Pa.

11:00 a.m.

James Madison University

18-31, 6-10

Drexel

20-19, 8-8

James Madison

Drexel

5/1/2010 9:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PHILADELPHIA, Pa., May 1, 2010 - Junior pitcher Olivia McPherson (Liberty, N.C./Southern Alamance) threw a complete-game, two-hitter for James Madison and Laura Stagliano hit a walk-off single for Drexel as the Dukes and Dragons split a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader at Drexel Field in Philadelphia, Pa. on Saturday.

The Dukes remain one game back of the Dragons for fourth in the CAA with a 7-10 mark in conference play. They ran their overall record to 19-31. Drexel is 20-20 overall and 8-9 in the CAA.

In game two, McPherson improved to 5-5 on the season with her second consecutive complete-game effort. She allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out two in seven innings pitched.

Katrina Gaudier took the loss to fall 4-6. She gave up four runs, on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched. The senior received little help from her defense as the Dragons committed six errors, leading to three unearned runs. Shyann Beach allowed one hit and struck out two in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Sophomore shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) went 2-for-3 with a run, a RBI and a stolen base to lead the JMU offense. Freshman outfielder Jasmine Butler (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) matched her career high with three hits and stole a base. Freshman third baseman Haley Johnson (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) added two hits and a run scored.

Shortstop Caprice DeMirjian had a double and an RBI to lead Drexel. First baseman Ashley Bothelo matched Drexel's career hits record with a single while Stagliano scored the Dragons' only run.

Madison capitalized on four Drexel errors to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Burnham reached on an error by the second baseman to lead off the game and beat the throw to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior right fielder Courtney Simons (Richmond, Va./Deep Run) to put two on with nobody out. The Dukes took a 1-0 lead when catcher Paige Collings threw the ball away on a double steal. After the error, Simons scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. Gaudier settled down with back-to-back ground-outs before Johnson and Butler started a two-out rally with consecutive singles. Johnson scored for a 3-0 Madison lead on a pair of Drexel errors on Brittney Dyson's (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) grounder to the right side.