PITCHERS POWER JMU SOFTBALL TO DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP

Wednesday, March 9

Norfolk, Va.

2:00 p.m.

James Madison University

10-4

Norfolk State

3-8

James Madison

Norfolk State

3/9/2011 11:24:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

NORFOLK, Va., March 9, 2011 – Two James Madison pitchers combined to limit Norfolk State to one run and eight hits in 14 innings in a doubleheader sweep at the NSU Softball Complex in Norfolk, Va. on Wednesday. JMU won game one 4-1 and took game two 1-0.

The Dukes improve to 11-4 overall, including a 4-0 mark in true road games while Norfolk State dropped to 3-9.

In game two, freshman right-hander Brittany Jeans (Camano Island, Wash./Stanwood) limited NSU to two hits and one walk in her first career shutout. She improved to 2-3 after striking out a JMU freshman record for strikeouts in a game with 13.

Jamie Schulle took the loss to drop to 1-3. She gave up one run on seven hits. The left-hander struck out four and walked none.

Junior shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) went 2-4 with a RBI to lead the Madison offense. Sophomore catcher Megan Shinaberry (Davie, Fla./McCarthy) went 2-for-3 while redshirt senior Chel'sea Ryan (Sandston, Va./Henrico) contributed a hit and two stolen bases.

NSU was led by third baseman Jeanette Sauceda who went 1-for-3 with a double. First baseman Melina Valles had the only other hit for the Spartans, finishing 1-for-2 with a single.

Burnham came through with a two-out, RBI single to left field in the top of the seventh inning to plate the game's only run. Shinaberry got things started with a one-out single to left. Freshman Lindsey Tomasz (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) entered as a pinch runner and moved to second on a ground-out by junior pinch hitter Casey Mansfield (Suffolk, Va./Isle of Wight). Burnham followed with sharp line drive to left-center for her 13th RBI of the season.

Jeans took care of the rest for JMU. The rookie struck out the first seven batters she faced and eight of the first nine. She did not give up a base runner until Sauceda led off the fifth with a double to right-center.

In game one, sophomore pitcher Cara Stecher (New Castle, Del./Caravel Academy) limited the Spartans to one run on six hits and two walks to earn the win. The second-year right-hander struck out five on her way to improving to 5-0. After allowing five hits and a walk through the first three innings, Stecher settled down and limited Norfolk to one hit and a walk in the final four frames.

Casey Pomeroy gave up four runs, two earned, on eight hits while striking out one in a complete-game effort. She dropped to 1-2 on the season with the loss.