No. 23/24 JMU Sweeps Delaware with 8-0 Win in Five Innings

Sunday, April 19

Newark, Del.

Noon

James Madison University

37-6, 14-0

Delaware

23-18, 5-9

James Madison

Delaware

No. 23/24 JMU Sweeps Delaware with 8-0 Win in Five Innings

4/19/2015 3:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – No. 23/24 James Madison utilized a pair of three-run innings to cap off its weekend series with a sweep, downing Delaware 8-0 in five innings on Sunday afternoon at the UD Softball Stadium.

The Dukes won their 28th straight game, improving to 37-6 on the year, while remaining unbeaten in the CAA at 14-0. They also swept the season series for the third consecutive year against the Blue Hens, who dropped to 23-18 overall and 5-9 in league play.

Junior first baseman Jailyn Ford went 3-for-4 with a game-high four RBIs, which tied her season-best total. Three other Dukes in junior catcher Erica Field, freshman pitcher Megan Good and freshman second baseman Morgan Tolle all recorded two hits apiece in a game which the Dukes hit .440 (11-25) as a team. Field drove in two runs while her and sophomore shortstop Niki Prince both touched home plate twice.

Good also stayed undefeated on the year, moving to 22-0 after throwing 4.2 innings, giving up five hits and no walks, to go with five strikeouts. She retired seven straight batters between the third and fifth innings to put JMU in position for its second shutout of the weekend and third in five games on the week.

Madison took a 1-0 lead with a two-out hit in the top of the first. After Field singled to right and advanced to second a batter later, Ford brought her home with a RBI single up the middle.

The Dukes doubled their lead to 2-0 in the third with a bases-loaded situation. Junior left fielder Hannah Hayes scored freshman pinch runner Jade Fleming from third on a single up the middle but UD got out the of the jam to keep it a two-run margin.

JMU loaded the bases again in the fourth and struck for three runs with one swing. With two outs, Ford cleared the bases when she lined a double to center field, scoring sophomore right fielder Tahli Moore, Prince and Field, to give the Dukes a 5-0 advantage.

Three more runs in the fifth allowed JMU to put itself in position for its third run-rule triumph of the weekend. Prince doubled down the left field line, scoring Hayes from second to make it a 6-0. On the ensuing at-bat, Field drove in Tolle and Prince with a two-RBI single to center, to complete the game's scoring.

UD had back-to-back singles in the seventh but Ford came in with two outs and shut the door with one pitch, getting the Hens to fly out to left.

Carolyn Szymanski (16-10) dropped her second decision of the series after conceding five runs (two earned), seven hits, three walks and two hit batters in her four innings in the circle. She only struck out one JMU player and gave up a pair of extra-base hits, while her team failed to record one.

The Dukes return to action on Wednesday, April 22, when they finish their seven-game road trip with a doubleheader at Longwood. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.