Softball Splits Doubleheader on Day One of JMU Invitational

Saturday, March 1

Harrisonburg, Va.

2:30 p.m.

James Madison University

8-8

Kent State

8-4

Kent State

James Madison

Softball Splits Doubleheader on Day One of JMU Invitational

3/2/2014 3:38:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Kent State Gallery
Fairfield Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va., March 1, 2013 – Three players hit home runs and junior pitcher Heather Kiefer (Potomac Falls, Va./Potomac Falls) tossed a three-hitter to lead the James Madison softball team to a doubleheader split on day one of the JMU Invitational at Veterans Memorial Park, Saturday. JMU lost its first game to Kent State, 4-3, before battling back to knock off Fairfield 9-1 in six innings in game two.

The Dukes ran their record to 9-8 on the season with the split while Fairfield also went 1-1 to improve to 2-4 and KSU won both its contests to get to 8-4.

Kiefer earned the win against Fairfield in game two, running her record to 4-4 on the season. The right-hander limited the Stags to one run on three hits in six innings of work. Kiefer struck out four and walked one.

Lauren Falkanger took the loss to drop to 0-1. She allowed five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. The righty struck out one and walked four. Rebecca Trott pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief. She gave up four runs, one earned, on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Sophomore catcher Erica Field (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) paced the Madison offense, going 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, a walk, four RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore second baseman Hannah Hayes (LaCrosse, Va./Kenston Forest) added her first home run of the season and scored three runs in three at-bats while freshman center fielder Niki Prince (Ashburn, Va./Kenston Forest) went 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs.

Three players recorded hits for Fairfield led by first baseman Sam Frungillo who went 1-for-2 with a double. Catcher Laruen Liseth had a hit and run in three at-bats and center fielder Sammy Ruffalo was 1-for-3 with a single on the day.

JMU opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Prince led off the frame with a walk. She stole second and third before scoring when Field lined a double off the fence in center.

Field drove in three more runs for the Dukes in the bottom of the third with her first home run of the season. Prince started the rally again, this time by beating out an infield single. She then kept the inning alive by using her speed to beat out a fielder's choice at second, to set up Field. The sophomore worked a 2-1 count before jumping on a Falkanger offering and launching it over the fence in left. It was her second career home run.

Hayes blasted Madison's second homer of the game to increase the lead to 5-1 in the fifth. It was Hayes' third career home run.

The Dukes broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the sixth, eventually ending the contest due to the early termination rule. Two runs came in on a Fairfield fielding error before sophomore first baseman Jailyn Ford (Hot Springs, Va./Bath County) singled up the middle for an RBI. Freshman right fielder Taylor Newton (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch) ended the contest with a double t