JMU SOFTBALL SPLITS SEASON OPENER IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Friday, February 18

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

12:00 p.m.

James Madison University

Saint Joseph's

2/18/2011 10:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., Feb. 18, 2011 -- The James Madison softball team opened up its 2011 season by splitting a pair of games at the Kickin' Chicken Classic hosted by Coastal Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. this weekend. JMU won its first game 6-5 over Saint Joseph's before falling to Bucknell 4-0.

The Dukes start their season at 1-1 while the Hawks dropped to 0-1 and the Bison improved to 1-0.

Against Bucknell, freshman right-hander Brittany Jeans (Camano Island, Wash./Stanwood) made her collegiate debut as the starting pitcher. She went six innings and allowed three runs on three hits and six walks while striking out four.

Alex MacLean earned the win for the Bison after allowing just two hits and three walks in the shutout. The right-hander struck out six in seven innings pitched.

JMU's two hits came on singles by junior shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) and sophomore pinch hitter Lori Botkin (Manassas, Va./Osbourn).

Right fielder Sam Rollandi went 1-for-2 with a triple, a walk and a run scored to lead Bucknell. Catcher Elyse Colmenero added two walks and a run scored while third baseman Allison Ford walked twice and drove in one.

The Bison opened the scoring in the top of the second by loading the bases with one out on a pair of walks sandwiched around a single by designated player Sophia Geraci. A wild pitch chased home shortstop Mallory Lyons for the 1-0 lead. Jeans worked her way out of further trouble with a strikeout and a fielder's choice.

Both pitchers settled into a pitcher's duel, trading scoreless frames until Bucknell broke the game open with three runs in the top of the seventh. Rollandi led off the inning with a triple down the right-field line and the Bison took advantage of three walks and a hit batsman to add to its lead.

JMU put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, but MacLean escaped any damage by inducing a line-out by Burnham to end the game.

In the first game of the day, Burnham capped off a three-run fourth inning with a two-run triple to lead the Dukes to a 6-5 come-from-behind win over Saint Joseph's. After scoring the game's first three runs, JMU gave up five runs in the bottom of the third inning before retaking the lead for good in the fourth.