Dukes Open CAA Play with Pair of Comeback Wins Against Towson

Saturday, March 21

College Park, Md.

3:30 p.m.

James Madison University

20-6, 0

Towson

9-8, 0

James Madison

Towson

Dukes Open CAA Play with Pair of Comeback Wins Against Towson

3/21/2015 9:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – James Madison opened Colonial Athletic Association softball play by rallying in the seventh inning of both games against Towson, claiming a 5-1 win in eight innings before rounding out the day with a 4-3 triumph on Saturday evening at the Maryland Softball Stadium.

The Dukes ran their win streak to 12 straight games, improving to 21-6 on the season, while the Tigers record was evened to 9-9 in 2015.

Madison will seek the series sweep on Sunday afternoon when it battles Towson at noon.

Game One: James Madison 5, Towson 1 (F/8)
James Madison scored one run in the seventh and poured on four more in the eighth to rally past Towson for a 5-1 victory in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams Wednesday evening at Maryland Softball Stadium.

Sophomore center fielder Taylor Newton tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the seventh when she doubled to right field, scoring freshman pitcher Megan Good. In extras, junior catcher Erica Field gave JMU its first lead of the day on a triple to right, scoring sophomore shortstop Niki Prince from second base. After Good drove in Field with a RBI single, junior first baseman Jailyn Ford hit her sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field, to give the Dukes a 5-1 advantage and complete the scoring.

TU's lone run came in the third when Hailey Balk singled up the middle to score Olivia Yarbrough from second base.

Good improved to 11-0 during her rookie campaign after allowing one unearned run and three hits, while striking out 11 Tiger batters in 8.0 innings. Good also went 2-for-3 from the plate with one RBI and two runs.

Missy McCormick took the loss for Towson, falling to 5-3 after conceding five runs, six hits and four walks in 7.1 innings.

Game Two: James Madison 4, Towson 3
Sophomore right fielder Tahli Moore delivered the biggest hit of her career, lining a triple down the right field line with two outs in the seventh inning to tie the game, and she later scored the game-winning run as James Madison came back to beat Towson 4-3 in game two on Wednesday night at Maryland Softball Stadium.

The Dukes took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth when freshman second baseman hit a two-RBI double to the right center wall but the Tigers claimed the lead with one swing in the bottom half as Kendyl Scott hit a three-run home run over the right field fence, the first of her career to make it 3-2 TU.

JMU started its rally in the seventh again, as freshman designated player Jessica Mrozek smacked a double off the right center wall with one out. Freshman second baseman Morgan Tolle moved pinch runner Caitlin Viafora to third with a fly out but with two away and a 1-2 count, Moore hit the ball down the line out of the reach of the first baseman all the way to the right corner to knot the game at 3-3.

After sophomore shortstop Niki Prince was hit by a pitch, junior catcher Erica Field doubled down the left field line to score Moore and put the Dukes in position for the twin bill sweep. In the bottom half, the Tigers put a runner in scoring position, at second, but back-to-back putouts in the outfield ended the game.

Junior pitcher Jailyn Ford won her fifth straight game, improving to 8-4 after allowing three runs and four hits, while striking out 12 in her complete game. Megan Dejter took the defeat, falling to 2-5 after giving up four runs and eight hits in her seven innings.

Freshman first baseman was the lone player on either side to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 from the plate. Tolle led the Dukes with her two-RBI night while four different players crossed the plate in the win.