Ford Breaks Wins Record as #22/23 JMU Rolls Past Elon Twice

Saturday, April 25

Harrisonburg, Va.

11:30 a.m.

James Madison University

38-6, 0

Elon

26-18, 0

Elon

James Madison

Ford Breaks Wins Record as #22/23 JMU Rolls Past Elon Twice

4/25/2015 5:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Junior Jailyn Ford became James Madison's all-time winningest pitcher to cap off a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader sweep against Elon, as the Dukes earned 9-1 and 9-0 run-rule victories on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

Ford won her 62nd career game, passing former JMU pitcher Meredith Felts, who won 61 decisions from 2006-09. While Ford improved to 14-4 on the season, freshman pitcher Megan Good also remained unbeaten in the circle, moving to 23-0 with her game-one triumph.

The Dukes stretched their win streak to 30 straight games, improving to 39-6 overall and 16-0 in CAA play, after hitting .429 as a team with six home runs and 21 total hits. The Phoenix fell to 26-19 on the year and 8-9 in league play following the two defeats.

Four JMU players hit at least .500, led by Ford and sophomore center fielder Taylor Newton, who both hit .667 (4-for-6), hit two home runs each and combined to drive in eight runs while scoring a collective eight between the two of them.

JMU and Elon close out the weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be available via audio only on MadiZONE HD SportsNet.

Game 1: #22/23 James Madison 9, Elon 1 (5 innings)
James Madison utilized a three-run third and four-run fourth to capture a 9-1 win in five innings against Elon in game one of the teams' doubleheader.

The Dukes had three players produce multi-hit games, as junior left fielder Hannah Hayes, sophomore shortstop Niki Prince and freshman second baseman Morgan Tolle all went 2-for-3. Hayes led all players with three RBIs while junior first baseman Jailyn Ford and sophomore center fielder Taylor Newton both scored a pair of runs.

Freshman pitcher Megan Good kept on the winning track, as she won her 23rd straight decision to stay unbeaten. Good threw 4.1 innings, allowing one unearned run and five hits, while striking out three Elon batters. Ford came in to notch the final two outs in the fifth, one coming by way of strikeout.

The Dukes went 10-for-22 (.455) with a pair of home runs while the Phoenix hit 5-for-21 (.238) and had to use three pitchers, as no player threw more than two full innings.

Newton opened the scoring in the bottom of the second, as she led off with a deep homer to left field, her sixth of the year, to give JMU a 1-0 lead. Three batters later, Tolle smacked her third home run of the season over the left center wall to make it 2-0.

In the third, Elon put a pair of runners on with a fielding error and base hit, and Kara Shutt scored Hannah Olson from second on a single through the right side to make it 2-1. In the bottom half, JMU loaded the bases to set up a three-run frame. After Hayes singled up the middle to give JMU a 3-0 advantage, a walk by freshman designated player Alyssa Buddle and single by Tolle drove in two more to give the hosts a 5-0 lead.

Prince led off the fourth with a triple off the center field wall and scored on a RBI single by junior catcher Erica Field to up the lead to 6-0. With the bases jammed, Hayes plated two more teammates with a single through the right side. The Dukes completed the game's scoring on a double-steal attempt, which saw Newton steal home, making it 9-1.

Taking the loss was Kiandra Mitchum (8-9), who gave up two runs, three hits and a walk in just 2.0 innings pitched. Highlighting the EU offense was Alaina Hall, who was 2-for-3 on the afternoon.

Game 2: #22/23 James Madison 9, Elon 0 (6 innings)
Junior pitcher Jailyn Ford won her 62nd career game for James Madison to become the program's all-time wins leader as the Dukes used four home runs to cruise to a 9-0 victory over Elon in game two of the doubleheader.

Ford threw her 10th complete game and sixth shutout of the season after conceding just four hits, to go with three strikeouts, in her 6.0 innings pitched. She also excelled from the plate, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs. It was the 20th time ever that a JMU player hit two homers in the same game and the fourth time Ford achieved the feat. Her RBI and run total also tied her single-game, career-best total.

Sophomore center fielder Taylor Newton tied her single-game career high, with three hits on four at-bats, as she drove in two runs while scoring another. Junior catcher Erica Field also had a multi-hit outing, going 2-for-4 with a run.

JMU hit 11-for-27 (.407) with three extra-base hits in addition to the team's four homers while limiting Elon to 4-for-22 (.182) batting.

After JMU evaded a bases-loaded situation in the top of the first, the Dukes struck for three in the bottom half to take the early lead. With two runners on, Ford hit a two-RBI double to give JMU a 2-0 lead. She crossed home plate on the next at-bat, as Newton made it 3-0 with a single up the middle.

Madison added another run in the third with a solo home run by Newton to center, her seventh of the year and second of the day, extending the lead to 4-0. Ford hit her first of two homers in the fifth to give the Dukes a 5-0 advantage.

JMU closed out the doubleheader by scoring four in the sixth to reach the run-rule threshold for the second consecutive game. Freshman pinch hitter Jessica Mrozek rocked her second career home run deep to right to give JMU a 6-0 lead. After freshman first baseman Megan Good gave the home team a seven-run lead with a RBI double to right center, Ford ended the game with a two-run shot to center field, the 10th of her junior season and 34th of her career.

Alli Burdette (2-2) received the loss after giving up seven runs, nine hits and two walks in 5.2 innings pitched while Kiandra Mitchum, the losing pitcher from game one, conceded two runs without producing an out in the seventh. Hannah Olson was the lone player to record two hits for Elon, going 2-for-3. EU's four through nine hitters went a combined 0-for-14 in the game.