#13 Dukes Slug By Umass Lowell and Yale to Open Tiger Invitational

Friday, February 24

Auburn, Ala.

11:30 a.m.

James Madison University

9-1

UMass Lowell

1-4

UMass-Lowell

James Madison

#13 Dukes Slug By Umass Lowell and Yale to Open Tiger Invitational

2/24/2017 5:54:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 @JMU_Softball 2017 Statistics 2017 Schedule UML Box Score Yale Box Score

AUBURN, Ala. – Powered by 28 hits including four home runs, No. 13/15 James Madison (10-1) slugged past Umass Lowell 10-0 and Yale 8-3 Friday at Jane B. Moore Field to open the Tiger Invitational to push JMU's win streak to seven consecutive games.

The Dukes outhit opponents 28 to eight while batting at a .509 average (28-for-55) over Friday's doubleheader. Madyson Moran led JMU going 3-for-4 with five RBI and a walk. Niki Prince added five hits and two RBI. Prince and Moran were two of four Dukes that slugged home runs on Friday joined by Taylor Newton and Odicci Alexander, who slugged her first career homer against the Riverhawks.

Megan Good improved to 6-0 allowing just one hit over four innings of work against Umass Lowell (1-4). Good struck out seven batters in the outing, Molly Meenan made her collegiate debut in the circle to pitch the final inning combing for JMU's fifth consecutive shutout, a program record.

Alexander earned the victory against Yale allowing two runs off six hits and two walks over six innings of work. The freshman struck out five batters and improved to 4-1 on the year.

Umass Lowell and the Dukes traded a scoreless first inning before JMU broke open the game in the bottom of the second. After a one-out single from Prince and a walk from Moran, Alexander launched her first home run of her career to put the Dukes up 3-0.

Cambry Arnold and Good led off the bottom of the third with back-to-back hits before Newton singled through the left side to score Arnold. Pinch runner Kassie Brammer pushed JMU's lead to 5-0 scoring off a Riverhawk wild pitch. Prince knocked her second single of the game before Moran homered to left center, driving the lead to 8-0.

The Dukes added two runs in the bottom of the fourth with two RBI homer from Prince, scoring Tahli Moore who reached on a single to right center, to cap the second run-rule victory of the season for JMU.

Yale (0-1) struck first in the second game of Friday's doubleheader using a couple singles and a walk to manufacture a 1-0 lead and cut JMU's scoreless inning streak at 34.0. JMU answered in the second inning as Kate Gordon picked up an RBI single to the shortstop to score Prince.

Arnold and Good tallied back-to-back singles in the top of third before Newton doubled to right to pick up an RBI. Prince launched a double of her own to score pinch runner Brammer to push the lead to 3-1. Moran knocked an RBI single before scoring on a Yale error to give JMU a 6-1 lead.

The Dukes added a run in the top of the sixth as Gordon scored on an RBI single from Jenny Behan. Yale was able to cut the lead to 7-2 with help of a JMU error, but Prince answered right back in the top of the seventh with a solo home run to push the lead back up to 8-2. Yale used JMU's third error of the game to score a third run, but Jessica McCabe retired the side to record the Friday sweep.

QUOTING MADYSON MORAN
"Today we faced some adversity. We worked together to get through it. We did great at our at bats, but we struggled a bit on defense. It's a learning process. We'll come back tomorrow and do great."

TWEET OF THE GAME

Holy cow @JMU_Softball is really good and has a TON of fire power!! #GoDukes ????????
— Justin Tarbell (@JustinWTarbell) February 24, 2017

BLANK'EM
James Madison set a program record with its fifth consecutive shutout in a 10-0 victory over Umass Lowell. Over the streak, JMU's pitching staff allowed just 13 hits and two walks over 31.0 innings while striking out 44 batters. The Dukes held opponents to just a .124 average. In its first 11 games, JMU has shutout opponents seven times.

UP NEXT
The Dukes continue the Tiger Invitational at Jane B. Moore Field on Saturday, Feb. 24. JMU opens Saturday with a 10:45 a.m. contest with North Dakota before facing No. 2 Auburn at 5:45 p.m.