Dukes Open Wildcat Invite With Two Wins

Friday, March 4

Tucson, Ariz.

11 a.m. ET

James Madison University

13-1

Saint Francis

7-11

James Madison

Saint Francis

3/4/2016 4:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

TUSCON, Ariz. – No.10 James Madison softball kicked off the first day of the University of Arizona Wildcat Invitational with wins over Saint Francis (5-0) and Mount St. Mary's (14-5 in five innings) Friday afternoon. The Dukes advanced to 14-1 on the season, extending a 12-game winning streak, while the SFU Red Flash fell to 7-11 and the Mountaineers dropped to 0-11.

Six Dukes recorded two hits apiece on the day led by senior pitcher/utility Jailyn Ford, senior catcher Erica Field and junior outfielder Taylor Newton with one home run each. Newton led JMU offense with three RBIs while sophomore pitcher/infielder Megan Good tallied a team-high two doubles on day one.

Ford (6-0) picked up the win over SFU in a shutout with a season-high 14 strikeouts, allowing only three hits. Good (8-1) earned the win over Mount St. Mary's in three innings, keeping the Mountaineers' bats silent with seven strikeouts and no hits. Freshman pitcher Jackie Tremain pitched the final two innings of the contest, giving up five runs on five hits.

In game one, JMU scored one run in both the first and second innings. Ford and Field pulled off a double steal in the first, scoring Field followed by a RBI single from junior infielder Madyson Moran scoring junior infielder Niki Prince in the second.

In the seventh, Field launched a solo homer for a 3-0 lead. Ford followed suit just two batters later with a two-run home run for the final runs of the game.

Against the Mountaineers, JMU jumped to a 12-0 lead, highlighted by a three-run bomb from Newton, in the first inning on seven hits and one error. The Dukes tacked on two more in the fourth with back-to-back RBIs from sophomore pinch hitters Alyssa Buddle and Jessica Mrozek.

JMU closed the fifth and final inning with a double play, haulting a five-run inning for the Mountaineers off of five hits, including one home run.

UP NEXT
No.10 JMU faces BYU on Saturday, March 5 in day two of the Wildcat Invitational, first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.

QUOTING HEAD COACH MICKEY DEAN
"Our pitchers did a really nice job of getting ahead and not keeping our defense ou in the field for long periods of time. Offensively, our hitters started off slow but then really had some nice at bats. We were able to have productive outs that led the some early runs, especially against Saint Francis.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Jailyn Ford went 2-for-2 with a double and two-run home run against Saint Francis. She is tied for eighth on the JMU all-time record boards with 33 doubles.

She also drew four walks earning the top spot on the all-time career leader boards with 93, surpassing Julia Dominguez (2006-09) with 91.

In the 26th shutout of her career and seven innings of work, Ford took sole possession of the all-time career innings pitched with a total of 598.0.

RUNNING UP THE RECORD BOARDS
With her three-run homer, Newton is tied for fifth on the JMU all-time charts with 20.

With three runs on the day, Prince takes sole possession of sixth place on the all-time charts with 100 career runs.

TWEET OF THE DAY

Just another day at the office for @jaylander12 , 2-2 a 2B HR & SB to go along with the W & 14Ks for @JMU_Softball https://t.co/moaEZYt6fr
— StarzGold (@StarzGold) March 4, 2016