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James Madison University
Howard
DUKES WIN TWO TO OPEN TOURNAMENT
2/13/2009 5:00:00 AM | Softball
CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 13, 2009 ? The James Madison softball team swept a pair of games at the College of Charleston Classic on Friday. The Dukes kicked off the day with a 10-3 win over Howard, before shutting out East Tennessee State 1-0.
JMU improved to 3-3 with the wins, dropping Howard to 2-3 and ETSU to 0-1.
Game two of the day featured a pitching duel between JMU starter Meredith Felts (Greenville, N.C./J.H. Rose) and ETSU right-hander Marissa Hardy as both pitchers cruised through the first five innings without allowing a run.
The Dukes finally broke through in the top of the sixth inning. Freshman shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) led off the inning with a single to left field and then stole second base. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. She scored on an unconventional play as senior catcher Julia Dominguez (Sterling, Va./Park View) walked and immediately took off for second. She was thrown out at second, but Burnham managed to take home during the resulting play.
Felts controlled the ETSU offense all game, throwing a complete-game three-hitter and only twice allowing a runner to reach second base. The first-team All-CAA selection did not walk a batter and struck out eight Buccaneers. She improved to 1-1 on the season and lowered her ERA to 2.23.
The Dukes threatened in the top of the fourth inning, putting runners on second and third following an ETSU error, a single and a wild pitch, but Hardy escaped the jam by inducing a flyout to right field.
