Dukes Down Cougars In CAA Doubleheader

Saturday, April 20

Harrisonburg, Va.

Noon

James Madison University

34-7, 12-1

College of Charleston

21-23, 5-8

Col. of Charleston

James Madison

4/20/2019 7:47:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HARRISONBURG, Va, - No. 20 James Madison softball collected a pair of Colonial Athletic Association wins, defeating the College of Charleston 7-0 and 6-1 on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

The Dukes improve to 35-7 overall while upping their conference record to 13-1 to remain atop of the standings as Charleston fell to 21-24 and 5-9.

JMU used three long balls to rout Charleston with home runs coming from juniors Kierstin Roadcap and Kate Gordon as well as sophomore Hannah File.

GAME 1
Sophomore Logan Newton drove in the first run of the game on a single to the left side, sending File across the plate for a 1-0 JMU lead. The Dukes plated three runs in the second frame due in part to back-to-back home runs from File and Gordon (4-0).

Junior Cambry Arnold notched her second hit of the game with a bunt single in the bottom of the fourth. She would get the only hit of the frame and scored on a fielding error from Charleston to expand JMU's lead to 5-0.

Sophomore Sara Jubas hit a leadoff single in the fifth and scored on a bunt from junior Madison Naujokas. File sent a sacrifice fly to center field to bring the Dukes' final run across the plate and JMU would go on to win its 11th shutout of the season.

Through seven innings in the circle, junior Odicci Alexander hurled a one-hitter for her 15th win of the season while racking up 10 strikeouts.

GAME 2
Charleston put a run on the board first with a RBI single in the top half of the second. The Dukes responded in the bottom of the inning as Roadcap launched a two-run home run over the wall in left center for her sixth long ball of the season. Naujokas took a free base after a hit-by-pitch and File singled to put two runners for Gordon. With two outs, Gordon singled through the left and brought Naujokas across the plate for a 3-1 lead.

Two scoreless innings went by before JMU added three more runs on the board in the fifth. Redshirt senior Megan Good began the frame with a double to center and Alexander followed with a single to left. Newton continued the hitting spree with a RBI single to right field and freshman Victoria Figueroa garnered a hit while plating another run. Roadcap scored the final run of the game, hustling to score on a passed ball.

Good earned her 14th win in the circle, pitching seven complete innings while tallying nine strikeouts.

QUOTING COACH LAPORTE
"We got two big wins today against a gritty Charleston team. I felt like we kept up or energy throughout the game – on the field and at the plate. Our pitchers did a great job attacking the batters today and getting ahead in the count. We made less mistakes in the field and sharpened up our game."

UP NEXT
The Dukes look to complete the series sweep of the Cougars tomorrow at 12 p.m.