JMU Beats Hofstra 4-3 to Force Deciding Game for CAA Title

Friday, May 8

Harrisonburg, Va.

12 p.m.

James Madison University

47-7

Hofstra

36-12-1

James Madison

Hofstra

JMU Beats Hofstra 4-3 to Force Deciding Game for CAA Title

5/8/2015 2:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison struck for two runs in both the first and third innings and junior pitcher Jailyn Ford struck out 12 batters to lead the top-seeded Dukes to a thrilling 4-3 victory in game six of the Colonial Athletic Association Softball Championship on Friday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

With the victory, the Dukes forced a pivotal game seven with a winner-take-all scenario between JMU and Hofstra, marking the fifth time in conference history the "if" game has needed to be played. JMU improved to 47-7 on the year while the Pride saw their 11-game win streak come to an end, dropping to 36-12-1.

Ford went the distance, allowing three runs on three hits and five walks. She reached double-digit strikeouts for the seventh time this season to move her season record to 16-4. Sophomore shortstop Niki Prince went 3-for-4 with a home run and freshman first baseman Megan Good hit 2-for-4 with a homer while Ford was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI.

JMU stormed out of the gates, launching a pair of solo home runs in the top of the first inning. On the second pitch of the game, Prince rocked her third homer of the season out to left field for a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Good made it 2-0 with her 10th blast of the year off the television truck in left center.

In the top of the third, JMU tacked on two more runs to double the lead to 4-0. With one on and one out, Good singled to center field and sophomore pinch runner Mimi Morris came around from first following a fielding error by Caryn Bailey in the outfield. Jailyn Ford followed with a RBI double down the left field line, plating Good for JMU's fourth run of the ballgame.

The Pride threatened in the fourth and fell a just few feet short of tying the game. Hofstra was able to load the bases following a pair of walks and a hit by pitch, and with two outs, Brittany Allocca drove a fly ball deep to right center but Taylor Newton tracked it for the third out at the warning track.

The Dukes put runners on first and second in both the fifth and sixth innings but Hofstra evaded any more damage, highlighted by Bailey's throw to the plate from center to tag out Hannah Hayes at the plate to end the top of the sixth.

The Pride moved to within a run on a single swing in the bottom of the sixth. After Chloe Fitzgerald singled and Bailey was walked for the third time, Michaela Transue belted a three-run home run over the right field wall to cut the deficit to 4-3.

In the seventh, Fitzgerald got on base with a two-out, infield single to extend the inning and bring up Bailey. After walking the Hofstra slugger in each of the previous three at-bats, Ford struck her out swinging to force a deciding game seven for the CAA Softball Championship.

Morgan Lashley was handed the loss, as she fell to 19-2 after conceding two runs on two hits in just a third of an inning. Taylor Pirone pitched the remaining 6.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits.

Hofstra was led offensively Transue, whose only hit was the three-run home run. Fitzgerald also went 2-for-4 with a run while Bailey was 0-for-1 with three walks.