Homers Hurt Dukes in Hawaii, Softball Drops Two In Honolulu

Thursday, March 8

Honolulu, Hawaii

6:30 P.M.

James Madison University

15-3

East Carolina

8-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
East Carolina	0	1	0	1	0	2	0	4	6	0
James Madison	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0

Homers Hurt Dukes in Hawaii, Softball Drops Two In Honolulu

3/8/2018 11:09:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score - ECU Box Score - Longwood @JMUSoftball

The last time James Madison lost softball games back-to-back was to LSU in the 2016 Harrisonburg Super Regional, until today. East Carolina and Longwood both got big home runs to respectively defeat the Dukes 4-1 and 7-4 in the Spring Fling Tournament in Honolulu.

The Dukes slipped to 15-4 and had a 12-game win streak snapped. Longwood upped its record to 10-8, and ECU improved to 8-15.

Longwood junior catcher Kaylynn Batten socked a three-run homer with one out in the top of the seventh to lift the Lancers from a 4-3 deficit to a 6-4 lead. Junior third baseman Jessica Smith added an RBI double.

JMU sophomore Natalie Cutright's first career homer was a three-run blast that capped a four-run fourth frame for a 4-1 lead against the Lancers. Sophomore pitcher Odicci Alexander left the yard with her fifth homer of the season to tie the game at 1-1 earlier in the inning.

Alexander fell to 9-2 in the circle. The right-hander allowed five earned runs on 10 hits, two walks and one hit batter. She struck out seven.

Senior third baseman Morgan Tolle joined Alexander as the only Dukes with two hits in a 10-hit attack. She connected for her team-leading sixth double.

East Carolina got a solo and a two-run homer from redshirt sophomore Tate McClellan to snap JMU's 12-game win streak. Her solo shot in the fourth broke a 1-1 tie. She circled the bases again in the sixth.

Junior right-hander Mary Williams (1-2) limited the Dukes to two hits and worked around five walks. Redshirt junior right-hander Ashley Cruise worked 1 1/3 innings to get the save, leaving two Dukes stranded in the sixth and seventh innings.

JMU's run came in the second on an RBI single by sophomore first baseman Kierstin Roadcap. Freshman right fielder Sydney LaScola set the stage with a single and a steal of second base.

Freshman Payton Buresch (6-2) took the loss in a starting role. She yielded two runs on three hits and a hit batter and fanned one.

UP NEXT
The Dukes will take the field again tomorrow in a lone game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, first pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET.