#13 Dukes Blank North Dakota, Stumble to #2 Auburn

Saturday, February 25

Auburn, Ala.

10:45 a.m.

James Madison University

11-1

North Dakota

6-7

North Dakota

James Madison

2/25/2017 1:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 @JMU_Softball UND Box Score Auburn Box Score 2017 Schedule 2017 Statistics

AUBURN, Ala. – No. 13/15 James Madison softball (11-2) earned its eighth consecutive victory blanking North Dakota 8-0 before stumbling to No. 2 Auburn 4-0 to close Saturday's action at the Tiger Invitational inside Jane B. Moore Field.

Megan Good earned the victory in the circle against the Fighting Hawks (6-7) to improve to 7-0. The junior pitched six innings allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out nine batters. The shutout was the fourth for Good this season. Good led the Dukes at the plate with three hits and an RBI over Saturday's doubleheader.

Odicci Alexander earned to start against the Tigers (14-1) allowing four hits and four runs over 4.1 innings of work. The freshman issued two walks with striking out six batters. Alexander fell to 4-2 on the year.

Senior Niki Prince added two hits and two RBIs over Saturday's slate, which included a two-RBI single to the bottom of the sixth to walk off the 8-0 victory over North Dakota.

Against UND, Tolle opened the contest with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first before moving into scoring position of a sacrifice bunt from Cambry Arnold. Good delivered a single to center field to give JMU a 1-0 lead.

The Dukes loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the third with a walk, UND error and hit by pitch. Madyson Moran knocked an RBI infield single to push the lead to 2-0. A second UND error of the inning allowed two Dukes to score before Moran scooted home on a throw to second base on Tahli Moore's steal attempt, giving JMU a 5-0 lead after the fourth.

James Madison loaded the bases once more in the bottom of the sixth after back-to-back walks an infield single of the bat of Newton. The Dukes capitalized on the fourth Fighting Hawk error of the game to push a run across before Prince delivered the walk off hit with a two-RBI single to center.

In front of 2,602 fans, the highest attendance in Jane B. Moore Field history, it was an evenly matched battle against the Tigers over the first three innings before the Tigers took of one pitch that hung over the plate for a two-run homer run off the bat of Courtney Shae for a 2-0 lead. Auburn added two additional runs in the bottom of the fifth off a two-RBI single from All-American Kasey Cooper.

The Dukes had opportunities against the Tigers, scattering five hits, but were unable to string anything together to leave seven runners on base.

QUOTING COACH DEAN
"We played a really good team tonight, and they took advantage of our mistakes. It is things that we've talked about. When you get by making those mistakes and you don't pay the price, then you feel like you can continue to do it. They made us pay tonight. I thought Odicci [Alexander] pitched extremely well. She had one bad batter. She got behind and showed her too many pitches. She paid the price for it, and as a team we paid the price for our mistakes."

STREAKING
With an outstanding weekend performance that has included seven hits, senior Niki Prince has strung together a seven-game hit streak. Since the streak has begun, Prince is 11-for-21 at the plate (.524) with a double and home run. Prince has scored eight runs with eight RBIs in that span.

UP NEXT
The Dukes close out the Tiger Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 26 with a rematch against No. 2 Auburn at 2 p.m. Sunday's contest will air on the SEC Network .