NO-HITTER, BIG INNING GIVES TOWSON SERIES WIN OVER JMU

Sunday, April 25

Harrisonburg, Va.

12:00 p.m.

James Madison University

18-30, 6-9

Towson

30-16, 9-6

Towson

James Madison

4/25/2010 7:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., April 25, 2010 - Freshman pitcher Katie Lingmai threw her first career no-hitter and Towson scored seven runs in top of the seventh inning, leading the Tigers to a 9-0 win over James Madison in the finale of a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series at Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday.

Towson won the CAA series two games to one to improve to 30-16 overall and 9-6 in conference play. The Dukes dropped to 18-30 and 6-9.

Lingmai improved to 2-0 in the series and 12-6 overall. She struck out six and walked two while throwing the eighth no-hitter in program history and the first since 2005.

Freshman right-hander Cara Stecher (New Castle, Del./Caravel Academy) matched Lingmai through the first four innings, holding the Tigers scoreless before running into trouble in the fifth. She allowed three runs, one earned, on nine hits and two walks. The rookie struck out four while dropping to 9-13 on the season.

TU was led offensively by shortstop Samantha DiPompo's 3-for-5 day with an RBI. Second baseman Mindy Bean added two hits, a run and two RBIs while center fielder Erika Stasch homered and scored twice.

JMU got walks from senior left fielder Brittney Dyson (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) and junior catcher Katie Spitzer (Broadway, Va./Broadway). Senior right fielder Courtney Simons (Richmond, Va./Deep Run) reached on an error in the first for the only other Madison base runner.

After four scoreless innings, Towson broke through for a run in the fifth. Rachel Miller led off with a single. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a single by DiPompo. A pitching change brought junior right-hander Heather Widner (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Ready) into the game. Bean lifted the first pitch she saw from Widner to deep left to score Miller on a sacrifice fly.

Stasch extended the lead to 2-0 with a lead-off home run to left field in the sixth inning.

The Tigers put the game away with seven runs in the seventh. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Bean scored on a wild pitch. Another walk reloaded the bases before catcher Courtney Wittner hit an infield fly for the first out of the inning. Designated player Andrea Stevenson added two runs to the lead with a single up the middle scoring third baseman Stef Streets and pinch runner Kelli Lyons. Lyons was actually thrown out at the plate on the