Second-Inning Surge Sends Dukes Past UVA

Wednesday, April 25

Charlottesville, VA

6 P.M.

James Madison University

34-10, 0

Virginia

12-36, 0

James Madison

Virginia

4/25/2018 9:35:00 PM | Softball

Box Score @JMUSoftball Box Score

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – James Madison used a five-run second inning and held off Virginia for a 6-4 victory in the Dukes' last non-conference softball game of the season Wednesday evening.

The Dukes improved to 34-10 overall and are 13-2 in Colonial Athletic Association play. UVA fell to 12-36 overall and remain at 3-18 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Sophomore Madison Naujokas led the Dukes at the plate going 3-for-4, scoring twice, picking up two singles and a double. Senior Morgan Tolle starting the scoring drive for the Dukes with a single up the middle, picking up two RBI as Naujokas and Sydney LaScola came home. Tolle came home on a groundout from Kate Gordon to make the score 3-0. Senior Jessica Mrozek then sent a double to right field, picking up two RBI as Sara Jubas and Odicci Alexander scored, who reached base on a single and fielder's choice, respectively.

Lascola had a sacrifice fly in the third inning to send home Naujokas who reached on a double, to pick up the final run of the night for JMU.

Alexander upped her record in the circle to 19-5 after hurling six innings of work, allowing only two runs (one earned) on seven hits. The Boydton, Va. product struck out four and only walked one over 28 batters faced. The sophomore came in to relieve Payton Buresch who gave up a two-run bomb in the bottom of the second inning.

UVA's Erika Osherow launched a two-run long ball in the second inning to the center field wall to put the Cavaliers on the board. They would add another long ball in the fifth to left field from Ashlee Davis to close in on the Dukes' lead. They would pick up their final run of the night off a sacrifice fly to right field. The Cavaliers had runners in scoring position with two outs as the game was ended on a deep fly ball to left field.

QUOTING COACH LAPORTE
"Tonight came down to the wire, UVA is a great hitting team and they proved that tonight. We are glad to leave with the win and we had some hitters step up for us when we needed it most, Madison was reading the ball really well and Jessica came up clutch to help us get up early. I was happy to see Odicci fight through it in the circle with runners on base and stepping up when we needed her to. We have a huge weekend ahead of us and we are going to hit the ground running to prepare for Hofstra."

UP NEXT
The Dukes host the league leading Hofstra Pride for a weekend series, beginning on Saturday at 2 p.m with a doubleheader. The final regular season home game will be on Sunday, April 29 as JMU celebrates senior day, first pitch is set for 1 p.m.