JMU SOFTBALL SPLITS HOME DOUBLEHEADER WITH LIBERTY

Wednesday, April 13

Harrisonburg, Va.

5 p.m.

James Madison University

25-14

Liberty

15-18

Liberty

James Madison

4/13/2011 11:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HARRISONBURG, Va., April 13, 2011 – James Madison softball traded come-from-behind victories with Liberty as the two teams split a non-conference doubleheader at Veterans Memorial Park on Wednesday. JMU won game one 4-3 before dropping the night cap 9-7.

The Dukes improved to 9-2 at home this season and ran its record to 25-14 overall. Liberty's record went to 15-18 in 2011.

In game two, freshman pitcher Brittany Jeans (Camano Island, Wash./Stanwood) went the distance for Madison in the circle, but took the loss to drop to 5-7. She allowed nine runs, eight earned, on 14 hits and walk.

Tiffani Smith picked up the win in relief to improve to 5-10. She gave up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks while striking out three in 3 2/3 innings pitched. Alyssa DiMartino drew the start and gave up five runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings pitched.

Junior shortstop Ashley Burnham (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) paced the JMU offense, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore first baseman Haley Johnson (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) chipped in two hits, including a home run while senior third baseman Lauren Robison (St. Leonard, Md./Calvert) added two hits, a double, a RBI and a walk in three plate appearances.

First baseman Kaylee West went 3-for-4 with two home runs, two runs and a career-high five RBIs to lead Liberty. Third baseman Ashley Bensinger added three hits and two runs in four at bats and second baseman Kelly Strickland went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, a RBI and a walk.

Liberty took advantage of a JMU error in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Liberty put runners on first and second with one out on a single and a walk. After catcher Keely McMillon was thrown out at the plate on a single to left field, right fielder Jenny Law hit an infield pop-up that was dropped by the Dukes for an error, allowing Strickland to score the game's first run.

The Dukes tied the score in their first at bat of the game as Burnham hit a lead-off home run to left field. Burnham moved into second in the nation in lead-off shots with four while extended her school record for homers to 12.

The Flames retook the lead in the top of the second inning on back-to-back two-out doubles. Center fielder Amber DePasquale started the rally with double down the left-field line before scoring on a double off the fence in right-center by shortstop Sammi Shivock.

JMU tied the score in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run to right-center field by Johnson. It was sophomore's fifth homer of the season.