Softball Sweeps Hofstra, 5-3 and 5-1

Saturday, March 22

Harrisonburg, Va.

3 p.m.

James Madison University

20-9, 1-0

Hofstra

13-4, 0-1

Hofstra

James Madison

3/22/2014 11:26:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. - The James Madison softball team put together four-run outbursts in each game to sweep the first two games of the Hofstra series, 5-3 and 5-1 at Veterans Memorial Park, March 22. With the wins, the Dukes improved to 21-9 overall and 2-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association while the defending CAA champion Pride fell to 13-5 and 0-2 in the league. It secured the first-ever series win for JMU over Hofstra in the program's 11-year history.

JMU got four runs in the first of the opening game after holding Hofstra scoreless in the top of the frame. After a ground out to start the bottom of the inning, JMU loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, a single by sophomore Erica Field (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) and a walk by sophomore Jailyn Ford (Hot Springs, Va./Bath County). A fielding error by the Pride third baseman scored sophomore Hannah Hayes (LaCrosse, Va./Kenston Forest) with the first run of the game. Freshman Taylor Newton (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch) then singled home both Field and Ford to make it 3-0. The Dukes then made it 4-0 on a RBI single by freshman Madyson Moran (Taylor Mill, Ky./Holy Cross).

The Dukes added a run in the second on Ford's RBI double to right center that scored freshman Niki Prince (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) to make it 5-0. Hofstra tallied three runs in the top of the seventh, capped by Becca Bigler's two-run homer to left field with one down. However, junior Heather Kiefer (Potomac Falls, Va./Potomac Falls) came in to record the final two outs of the game to pick up her second save of the season.

Those early five runs gave starting pitcher Ford enough to work with to pick up her 11th win of the year. Ford struck out nine while giving up eight hits, walking three and allowing three earned runs to improve her record to 11-5 on the season. Morgan Lashley took her first loss of the year for the Pride, surrendering three earned runs on seven hits to fall to 9-1 on the year.

In the nightcap, Hofstra struck first with its only run of the game in the top of the second. Caryn Bailey doubled down the right field line with one out and after a ground out, scored on Lacey Clark's double to right center.

The Dukes knotted it in the bottom of the fifth on Newton's blast over the center field fence that rattled off the back side of the storage building roof about 250 feet away. Madison then put together four runs in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win. JMU got leadoff batter Hayes on by a throwing error by the pitcher on a bunt. After stealing second, Hayes scored on Field's double to right center, with Field being thrown out at third. Ford then walked and senior Caitlin Sandy (Fayetteville, N.C./Jack Britt) singled to left field to set up Newton's second straight home run, this time over the right center fence to make it a 5-1 margin.

Kiefer scattered six hits and the lone run, while throwing just 80 pitches to get the victory and improve her record to 10-4 on the season.