Dukes Take Down #17 UCF, Go 1-1 in Day Two

Saturday, February 13

Orlando, Fla.

4:30 p.m.

James Madison University

2-1

Alabama

3-1

James Madison

Alabama

2/13/2016 8:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ORLANDO, Fla. – James Madison went 1-1 on day two of the UCF Knights Invitational, falling to #5 Alabama and defeating #17 UCF on Saturday evening. JMU improves to 3-1 on the season while Alabama advances to 3-1 and UCF falls to 4-1.

Sophomore pitcher Megan Good also went 1-1 on the day, taking the loss against Alabama while earning the win in the 1-0 decision over UCF while giving up just three hits, all in the first inning.

Sophomore third baseman Morgan Tolle hit a solo home run over the left-center field fence in the fourth to lift JMU to the one-run victory over the Knights. Good recorded 10 strikeouts, while the JMU defense played error-free ball in game two.

In game one, JMU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third as senior Erica Field singled through the left side, scoring junior Niki Prince.

Three innings later, Alabama scored on a fielding error followed by a throwing error, tying at 1-1. Senior pitcher Jailyn Ford switched places with Good after holding the Crimson Tide scoreless through 6.2 innings. Good forced a groundout, getting the Dukes out of the jam.

Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 7th, Alabama's leadoff hitter reached third on an error in right-center. Alabama sealed the victory with an immediate walkoff single through the left side of the infield.

UP NEXT
The Dukes finish the UCF Invitational Sunday, Feb.14 against Rutgers at noon. JMU defeated the Scarlet Knights 5-0 on Friday afternoon.

QUOTING HEAD COACH MICKEY DEAN
"I couldn't be more proud in the way our team responded in the second game especially defensively after having that breakdown in the first game. The first game was disappointing because we always talk about that we are good enough to overcome a mistake but not two mistakes in one play and that's a prime example of what we talk about."

"We composed ourselves and really responded defensively because UCF is great offensively with their slap hitters. I thought our pitchers did a great job of composing themselves and giving us opportunities to win ball games."

TWEET OF THE DAY

HOME RUN! @motolle5 cranks over the left-center fence to put JMU up 1-0 #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/2ARSSVS4dm
— JMU Softball (@JMU_Softball) February 14, 2016

NOTEWORTHY NUMBERS
Field caught UCF's Goodman stealing second in the bottom of the fifth to close the inning.
Good recorded hits in both match-ups with a single up the middle against Alabama and a single through the right side against UCF.

RISING THE RECORD BOARDS
After getting the start in the circle vs. #5 Alabama, senior pitcher Jailyn Ford is now tied for first in the JMU all-time career starts list with 85 alongside Jenny Clohan (2006-09),

With 10 strikeouts against #17 UCF, Megan Good has climbed to seventh on the all-time strikeouts list with 216, passing Renee Bounds with 208 from 2004-07.