Softball Splits on Day One of Days Inn Invitational

Friday, March 16

Harrisonburg, Va.

2:30 PM

James Madison University

8-13

Fordham

8-14

Fordham

James Madison

3/16/2012 11:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HARRISONBURG, Va., March 16, 2012 – Junior right-hander Cara Stecher (New Castle, Del./Caravel Academy) made a victorious return to the lineup for the James Madison softball team to earn it a split on day one of the JMU Days Inn Invitational at Veterans Memorial Park on Friday. JMU dropped game one 5-0 to Fordham and rebounded in game two for a 5-4 win over George Washington.

The split ran the Dukes record to 9-13 on the season while Fordham went 1-1 on the day to improve to 8-14. GW went 0-2 on the opening day to fall to 6-14.

In game two, Stecher went five innings, allowing three unearned runs to improve to 1-0 on the season. She gave up five hits and struck out five while walking none. Dating back to last season, the junior has won six straight decisions and 11 of her last 12. Freshman right-hander Heather Kiefer (Potomac Falls, Va./Potomac Falls) allowed one run on two hits and a walk in two innings of relief to earn her second save of the season.

Right-hander Kara Clauss took the loss for the Colonials to drop to 4-8. She ceded four runs, three earned, on 10 hits and two walks in four innings pitched. Chelsey Pedley gave up one run on four hits in two innings of relief.

Junior first baseman Haley Johnson (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) paced the Dukes offensively, going 3-for-3 with a walk, a run and a RBI. Junior center fielder Jasmine Butler (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) went 3-for-4 with a run scored and freshman left fielder Morgan Heath (Yorktown, Va./Grafton) added a 2-for-4 outing with a home run, two runs and a RBI.

George Washington was led by shortstop Victoria Valos who went 2-for-3 with a home run, a run and three RBIs. While center fielder Autumn Taylor added a home run, two runs and a RBI in three at-bats. Left fielder Chelsea Lenhart chipped in two hits and a run.

The Colonials capitalized on a first-inning JMU fielding error to grab an early 3-0 lead. After breezing through the first two batters, Stecher misplayed a grounder back to the circle allowing Taylor to reach. A single by Lenhart extended the inning before Valos launched a three-run home run to right-center.

GW gave a run back with a fielding error of its own in the bottom of the first. Butler led off the frame with a single and moved to second on a throwing error. She advanced to third on a single up the middle by senior shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers). Burnham and Butler than completed a double steal, with Butler taking home. It was the 46th career steal for the junior, breaking <>