No. 14 JMU Sweeps Seahawks in Sunday Doubleheader

Sunday, April 23

Harrisonburg, Va.

11 a.m.

James Madison University

38-6, 0

UNCW

29-11-1, 0

UNCW

James Madison

4/23/2017 4:07:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 @JMUSoftball Game One Box Game Two Box Photo Gallery Highlights

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Behind two strong pitching performances, No 14/15 James Madison softball swept UNCW Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park to clinch the Dukes third consecutive series sweep.

The Dukes notched a 4-1 win behind junior Megan Good's 28th victory of the season to open Sunday's doubleheader slate. Freshman Odicci Alexander combined with Good for a 4-0 shutout to secure the series victory. JMU improved to 39-6 and 12-2 in conference play to extend its lead in the conference standings. The Seahawks fell to 29-12-1 and 8-6 in league play.

Good led JMU at the plate going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. All three of Good's hits went for extra-bases as she knocked two doubles and a home run for a 2.000 slugging percentage over the series.

Freshman outfielder Cambry Arnold knocked three hits while scoring a team-leading three runs. Senior outfielder Taylor Newton added three RBIs off two hits.

Good earned the victory in the series opener as the right-hander allowed just one earned run off four hits over seven innings. Good struck out four in the contest. She also earned her first save of the season as she entered game two with the tying run on deck in the top of the sixth. She tossed 1.2 innings of relief allowing just one hit.

Alexander made her first start since facing Virginia on April 4. Notching her eighth victory of the season, the right-hander tossed 5.1 innings. She allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out one.

JMU got on the board early in game one of the series as Newton delivered an RBI single to left field to score Arnold. The teams traded three scoreless innings before JMU extended its lead in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, a double from Good and single from Newton plated three runs to push the lead to 4-0.

UNCW sliced the lead to 4-1 as Nella Chamblee knocked a solo home run in the top of the sixth before loading the bases, but Good forced a pop up to retire the side before tossing a perfect frame in the seventh to close the game.

The Dukes opened the second game of Sunday's doubleheader in similar fashion with first-inning scoring. An RBI double from Good and sacrifice fly from Alexander gave JMU a 2-0 lead. Good added two runs in the bottom of the fifth with her seventh home run of the season.

Alexander held the Seahawks hitless over 5.1 innings before a single and an error put two runners on base for UNCW. With the tying run on deck, Good entered the game preserve and tossed 1.2 innings of one-hit softball to preserve a 4-0 victory for JMU.

QUOTING COACH DEAN
"[Odicci] Alexander did a tremendous job. We kept the game plan very simple. Before the game, we talk about attacking and getting ahead of batters. We did that. She did a tremendous job."

PHOTO OF THE GAME - FULL GALLERY

Cambry Arnold slides home to give JMU a 1-0 lead in the fist inning.

"RUN"NING DOWN A RECORD
Senior shortstop Niki Prince is on the verge of not only a JMU program record but also a Colonial Athletic Association record. Prince is just two runs scored away from breaking Jailyn Ford's career record of 158. Should she break the mark, Prince would tie the CAA record of 159 runs held by Georgia State's Danielle Roddy (2007-10).

TWEET OF THE GAME

She should be the national player of the year without question. Beast on the mound and at the plate. @JMUSoftball https://t.co/3FucssRXNa
— Steve Brown (@Steve_Brown84) April 23, 2017

SOMEBODY SAVE ME
In her first relief appearance of the season, Megan Good notched her fourth career save. The save was the first for Good since February 12, 2016 when she tossed three innings of one-hit relief in JMU's 5-0 win over Rutgers.

SEASON-RECORD WATCH
With a phenomenal campaign over her junior season, Megan Good is nearing single-season records. Good now holds a career-best 46 RBIs, which ranks sixth on the single-season charts. Sarah Mooney holds the record with 67 RBIs over the 2013 season. Good also has notched 28 victories in the circle which is one shy of tying her 2015 wins total for the second-most over a season. Good holds the record with 32 victories over the 2016.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Cambry Arnold makes a leaping catch at the wall to rob UNCW of a base hit.

CAA STANDINGS

	CAA Record	Overall Record
James Madison	12-2	39-6
Hofstra	9-4	21-17
UNCW	8-6	29-12-1
Charleston	8-7	28-19
Elon	7-7	29-17
Delaware	6-9	18-23
Towson	3-10	20-24
Drexel	3-11	14-24

UP NEXT
JMU hits the road for the final time this regular season when the Dukes trek to Chapel Hill, N.C. to face the Tar Heels. The midweek doubleheader is set for Wednesday, April 26 at 4 p.m.