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James Madison University
Hofstra
DUKES OPEN CAA CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 2-0 WIN OVER HOFSTRA
5/6/2009 6:30:00 PM | Softball
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., May 6, 2009 ? JMU senior right-hander Meredith Felts (Greenville, N.C./J.H. Rose) threw a one-hit shutout to lead the fourth-seeded Dukes past top-seeded Hofstra 2-0 in the opening round of the Colonial Athletic Association Championships at the Hofstra Softball Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y. on Wednesday.
JMU improved to 33-14 overall while dropping the Pride to 26-20 this season. Madison moves on to play the winner of the 3:30 p.m. game between Georgia State and Towson, while Hofstra moves to the losers' bracket and will play the loser between the Panthers and Tigers.
HU's Kayleigh Lotti and Felts started out this year's championship the same way they finished last year's, by putting up scoreless innings. The CAA's top two pitchers matched each other pitch for pitch through five scoreless innings.
The Dukes broke up the shutout in the sixth inning, pushing a run across to take a 1-0 lead. Junior first baseman Shannon Moxey (Church Road, Va./Mills Godwin) led off the inning with a single into center field, and sophomore pinch runner Melissa Hill (Santee, Calif./Westhills) moved to third on a single by senior third baseman Amber Kirk (Hamilton, Va./Loudoun County) and a groundout. Freshman Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) came up with the crucial two-out hit for JMU, lofting a soft pop-up just behind the pitcher's circle and beating out the throw to plate Hill.
That was all the offense Felts needed as she out-dueled the three-time CAA Pitcher of the Year for her 17th win of the year. Felts set down 10 of the final 11 batters she faced and 21 of 24 overall as she went the distance for her eighth shutout and her 17th complete game of the year. She allowed one hit, a single in the third, walked two and struck out nine. The Greenville, N.C., native has allowed just two hits in her last 16 innings pitched and has not allowed a run in her last 20.
