JMU Falls to Baylor 4-2; Awaits Opponent For Saturday’s Elimination Contest

Saturday, May 20

Waco,Texas

2 p.m.

James Madison University

51-7

#17/13 Baylor

45-12

James Madison

Baylor

JMU Falls to Baylor 4-2; Awaits Opponent For Saturday’s Elimination Contest

5/20/2017 4:48:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score Tournament Central

WACO, Texas – No. 11/12 James Madison softball took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning, but a three-run home run by Shelby Friudenberg gave No. #17/13 Baylor a 4-2 victory during Saturday's winners' bracket game of the Waco Regional at Getterman Stadium.

JMU stumbled to 51-7 as the Lady Bears snapped the Dukes 20-game win streak. Baylor improved to 45-12 to advance to Sunday's regional finale.

The Dukes knocked four hits, three of which went for extra-bases, in the contest. Junior infielder Morgan Tolle lone hit was two-run homer that put JMU on top 2-1 in the third inning. Senior outfield Taylor Newton slugged a triple in the contest while freshman catcher Kierstin Roadcap added a double.

Junior pitcher Megan Good suffered just her second loss of the season as she fell to 37-2 in the circle. Good only allowed two base runners to reach through the first five innings until the Lady Bears strung together three consecutive hits, including the game-winning home run. Over six innings, she allowed four runs off six hits with two strikeouts. The four earned runs was the most Good has allowed in a game this season.

Baylor third baseman Lindsey Cargill led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle as she worked her way to third with a groundout and a sacrifice bunt. Good's dealt a rise ball during Friudenberg's first at bat that was too high for Roadcap to handle and allowed Cargill to score.

Newton knocked JMU's first hit of the contest in the top of the second with a leadoff triple to left center field, just the second triple allowed over Baylor pitcher Kelsee Selman's career, but back-to-back infield outs and a strikeout kept Newton at third as the Dukes were unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunity.

Roadcap almost mirrored Newton's blast with a double to left center to lead off the top of the third. Tolle didn't squander the scoring chance as she slugged her sixth home run of the season with a blast to left field to give JMU a 2-1 lead.

Good dominated Baylor after allowing the single to leadoff Saturday's contest. The right-hander retired nine consecutive batters before an infield single to lead off the bottom of the fourth, but the Dukes retired the next three Baylor batters to leave the runner stranded.

After not allowing more than one base runner to reach in an inning all game, Baylor knocked back-to-back, two-out singles in the bottom of the sixth. Friudenberg launched a three-run home run to center field for the game winner as the Lady Bears blanked JMU in the seventh inning for a 4-2 victory.

QUOTING COACH DEAN
"We let too many opportunities pass. We weren't able to move a runner the entire ball game. You can't let teams hang around because momentum can shift just like that, especially in a one-run game. That is what happens when you let a team hang around when you have opportunities, and we didn't take advantage of those opportunities."

PHOTO OF THE GAME - VIEW GALLERY

Morgan Tolle touches home plate after knocking a home run to give JMU a 2-1 lead.

QUOTING MEGAN GOOD
"The whole game was a dog fight. I let one of my pitches float over the plate too much, and she [Shelby Friudenbreg] got a hold of it. That was expected because Baylor is a great hitting team. I just needed to keep my focus more."

TWEET OF THE GAME

WE BELIEVE IN YOU @JMUSoftball. Go get em. Bounce back like we know you can. #GoDukes #JMUNation
— Justin Tarbell (@JustinWTarbell) May 20, 2017

UP NEXT
JMU moves into the losers' bracket and will await the winner of Oregon State vs. Kent State for an elimination game at 7 p.m. ET. Saturday's contest will be streamed on ESPN3.