Softball Falls Twice on Opening Day in Georgia

Friday, February 7

Athens, Ga.

10 a.m.

James Madison University

0-1

North Texas

1-0

North Texas

James Madison

2/7/2014 9:32:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ATHENS, Ga., Feb. 7, 2014 – The James Madison softball team dropped a pair of decisions as it opened its season at the Red and Black Showcase in Athens, Ga., Friday. The Dukes fell in eight innings to North Texas, 7-1, and dropped an 11-4 decision to Winthrop in the night cap.

The Dukes fell to 0-2 to start the season. North Texas opened its season at 1-0 as did Winthrop.

In game two, Winthrop scored all 11 runs from the fifth inning on, including a five-run seventh inning. Winthrop had 16 hits, including multiple-hit performances from seven players.

Junior right-hander Heather Kiefer (Potomac Falls, Va./Potomac Falls) earned the loss against the Eagles, falling to 0-1 on the year. She allowed six runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. The right-hander struck out six and walked none. Freshman right-hander Kelly Wishard (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) pitched the final 1 1/3 innings in relief. She gave up five runs on four hits and two walks.

Sutton Watson earned the win for the Eagles in a complete-game effort. She held Madison to four runs, two earned, on eight hits. The right-hander struck out two and walked one.

Offensively, the Dukes were paced by freshman center fielder Mimi Morris (Kenilworth, Ill./New Trier) who went 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Sophomore catcher Erica Field (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) added a triple, a RBI and a run scored in three at-bats while freshman right fielder Tahli Moore (Sydney, Australia/Loreto Normanhurst College) went 1-for-3 with a run batted in.

Shortstop Naomi Stevens led the way for the Eagles, going 2-for-5 with a home run, two runs and two RBIs while right fielder Mel Andrea went 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Third baseman Kim Ryder contributed two hits and three runs scored in four at-bats.

JMU struck first in the game, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Following two outs to start the innings, Morris laid down a bunt single to spur the rally. Field followed that with a triple and came in to score on an error by the Winthrop shortstop.

The Eagles bounced back to take the lead with four runs in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles by Paige Haley and Ryder started the inning before both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt. After a strikeout, left fielder McKenzi Corn reached on an infield single to plate the innings first run. Singles by Andrea, designated player Leah Young and a double by first baseman Alex White pushed the lead to 4-2 at the end of the half inning.

Madison got a run back in the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore second baseman Hannah Hayes (LaCrosse, Va./Kenston Forest) led off the inning with a double to left-center field and scored on a single by Morris.

A two-run single by Corn extend the Eagles' advantage to 6-3 in the sixth inning before the Dukes cut into the lead again in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI single by Moore.