Hayes’ Walk-Off Homer Lifts Top-Seeded JMU Past Fourth-Seeded Towson, 3-2

Wednesday, May 6

Harrisonburg, Va.

12 p.m.

James Madison University

45-6

Towson

35-21

Towson

James Madison

Hayes’ Walk-Off Homer Lifts Top-Seeded JMU Past Fourth-Seeded Towson, 3-2

5/6/2015 2:10:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Junior outfielder Hannah Hayes launched the game-winning home run, allowing No. 18/17 James Madison to walk off with a thrilling 3-2 victory over fourth-seeded Towson in the opening game of the Colonial Athletic Association Softball Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

The top-seeded Dukes improved to 45-6 on the year, extending their nation-leading win streak to 36 games, while the Tigers fell to 35-21 this season. JMU advances to Thursday's winner bracket and will play second-seed Hofstra, which beat Elon 10-0 in five innings. TU will take on Elon in an elimination game at 2:30 p.m.

Freshman pitcher Megan Good remained unbeaten this season, as she moved to 27-0 after allowing two runs and four hits, to go with four strikeouts in her seven innings of work. After giving up the lead in the fourth, Good allowed just one runner to reach base the rest of the way, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters.

Junior catcher Erica Field was perfect from the plate, going 3-for-3 with a RBI and run while sophomore shortstop Niki Prince scored a run.

JMU took an early 1-0 lead on its second at-bat of the game. Erica Field lined a triple down the right field line that took a bounce into foul territory. After an errant throw from right, Field came home off the throwing error for the game's first run.

The Tigers erased the deficit in the top of the fourth off the bat of Shelby Stracher. With two outs, Missy McCormick singled to left field to extend the frame, and Stracher followed suit with a two-run home run deep to left center, her eighth of the season, to give TU a 2-1 lead.

The Dukes erased the deficit, tying the ballgame at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. After Prince drew a lead-off walk, Field laced a single to right, moving Prince over to third. Good brought Prince home with a sacrifice fly to right to square the contest.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Hayes stepped to the plate and delivered arguably the biggest hit of her career. She took the 1-0 delivery deep to center field for her third home run of the season to end the game and advance JMU to the winner's bracket.

McCormick took the loss, dropping to 19-7 after surrendering three runs (two earned), five hits and two walks in 6.1 innings pitched. Stracher led the team with her two RBIs off the homer and Olivia Yarbrough reached base twice with a hit and walk. No TU batter tallied more than a single base hit.