No. 23/24 Dukes Roll Past Delaware, 13-0 and 12-3

Saturday, April 18

Newark, Del.

Noon

James Madison University

35-6, 12-0

Delaware

23-16, 5-7

James Madison

Delaware

4/18/2015 4:45:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

NEWARK, Del. – No. 23/24 James Madison rolled to its 26th and 27th consecutive victories and remained unbeaten in Colonial Athletic Association play, dispatching Delaware 13-0 and 12-3 in a pair of five-inning softball games on Saturday afternoon at UD Softball Stadium.

The Dukes hit .526 as a team and scored their 25 runs on 30 hits to improve to 36-6 on the season and 13-0 in CAA play while the Blue Hens were limited to .118 hitting, falling to 23-17 and 5-8. JMU also produced 12 extra-base hits (9 doubles, 3 triples) while not conceding one to UD.

Junior catcher Erica Field was the most prolific hitter of the day with a .857 batting average (6-for-7) as she produced seven RBIs and two runs while striking for four extra-base hits. She also tied single-game records in hits and RBIs in JMU's game two triumph.

Junior pitcher/first baseman Jailyn Ford and sophomore center fielder Taylor Newton both hit .667 (4-for-6) as Ford had two RBIs and three runs while Newton drove in two runs and scored another. Three other JMU players hit at least .500 in the sweep.

The Dukes and Blue Hens will complete the weekend series on Sunday, when the teams play a single game at noon.

Game 1: #23/24 JMU 13, Delaware 0
Freshman pitcher Megan Good came one out away from throwing a no-hitter and James Madison produced runs in each inning to cruise to a 13-0 win in five innings in game one of the doubleheader.

Good allowed just one base hit, which came with two outs in the bottom of the fifth on a liner right back to the pitcher. Aside from the hit, she walked only two batters while striking out four to remain unbeaten at 21-0 this season.

Three Dukes had multi-hit outings as sophomore center fielder Taylor Newton was 2-for-2 with walk, RBI and run while junior catcher Erica Field and sophomore shortstop Niki Prince both went 2-for-3 as Prince scored a game-high three runs and both players drove in another.

A pair of freshmen in second baseman Morgan Tolle and pinch hitter Ashley Samuels both had two RBIs. Tolle, junior first baseman Jailyn Ford and sophomore third baseman Madyson Moran also scored two runs apiece.

The Dukes took a 2-0 lead in the first after Good hit a RBI single to left, scoring Prince, and Field came home on a double-steal attempt. The lead stretched to 5-0 in the second despite having just one hit as Delaware gave up three walks, hit two batters and committed a throwing error. The Dukes touched home twice more in the third on back-to-back RBI triples by Prince and Field, to make it 7-0.

In the fourth, JMU hit around the order, compiling five runs on three hits, two walks and an error. After both Ford and Newton got on base by way of walks, the bases were loaded up when freshman designated player Alyssa Buddle reached on a fielding error at short. Tolle ripped a two-RBI double to left, scoring both Ford and Newton to give JMU a 9-0 lead.

It stretched to double digits on the next at-bat when freshman pinch hitter Jessica Mrozek singled to the pitcher, scoring a pinch-running Moran from third. The Dukes concluded the frame when Samuels recorded her first career hit, a two-RBI double to the left-center wall, to make it 12-0. JMU completed the scoring on a Moran RBI single in the seventh.

Taking the lass was Carolyn Szymanski (16-9), who conceded seven runs and eight hits, to go with four walks and a pair of hit by pitches in only 2.2 innings. The UD bullpen gave up six more runs on six hits over the final 2.1 innings.

Game 2: #23/24 JMU 12, Delaware 3

Junior catcher Erica Field tied a pair of single-game program records to lead James Madison to a 12-3 win in game two of a doubleheader against Delaware.

Field went 4-for-4 with a six RBIs and a run as her hit and RBI totals weren't just career highs but also tied JMU's single-game record. She became the 15th Dukes in history to record four hits in a game but was just the third player to ever record six RBIs.

Five other Dukes had at least two hits as junior pitcher Jailyn Ford was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run. Despite not producing a hit, sophomore shortstop Niki Prince scored a game-high three runs as she reached base by ways of a walk, hit by pitch and fielding error, and sophomore right fielder Tahli Moore, who was 2-for-3, reach home twice.

Ford won her 10th straight game, improving to 13-4 this year after allowing three runs and three hits, while striking out six UD batters in 4.0 innings pitched. Senior pitcher Heather Kiefer came in to pitch an inning of relief, not allowing a base runner on and recording a strikeout.

The Dukes took a 2-0 lead on a Field double to center and Ford single to left and they tacked on one more on Field's second two-bagger of the game in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.

JMU poured on four in the top of the fourth inning, which started by loading the bases on three at-bats. Field drove in two more runners with a single to center and the Dukes plated another on a sacrifice fly by freshman first baseman Megan Good, to put them up 6-0. They scored their seventh run of the game on the next batter, when Ford singled up the middle.

Delaware scored its only runs of the game in the bottom half, with one swing. Ford, who took a no-hitter into the fourth, conceded back-to-back singles with one out, and the Hens struck for three when Mariah Kondravy lifted a home run over the left center fence.

The Dukes responded by reaching the run-rule threshold for the second straight game, producing five runs in the fifth. After freshman designated player Alyssa Buddle led off the frame with a triple, Moore drove her in two batters later for an 8-3 lead. The Dukes loaded the bases and Field brought two more Dukes home with a single through the left side, making it 10-3. A past ball brought Prince home and a RBI single by sophomore center fielder Taylor Newton completed the game's scoring.

Kiersten Coffman (1-2) claimed the losing decision after surrendering seven runs (six earned) and 10 hits in 3.2 innings pitched.