JMU Advances to Sunday’s Regional Finale With 4-0 Shutout Over Kent State

Saturday, May 20

Waco, Texas

7 P.m.

James Madison University

52-7

Kent State

33-28

James Madison

Kent State

JMU Advances to Sunday’s Regional Finale With 4-0 Shutout Over Kent State

5/20/2017 11:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score Tournament Central

WACO, Texas – Behind Junior Megan Good and freshman Odicci Alexander's two-hit shutout, No. 11/12 James Madison advanced to the Waco Regional final as the Dukes blanked Kent State 4-0 Saturday night inside Getterman Stadium.

With a victory in the elimination contest, JMU improved to 52-7 while Kent State finished the 2017 season with a 33-28 record. The Dukes survived another day and will have a rematch with No. 17/13 Baylor to decide the winner of the Waco Regional.

After suffering just her second loss of the season earlier in the day against Baylor, Good was spectacular to close Saturday's action. Over five innings, Good allowed just one hit and a lone walk while striking out five. Earning the victory, she improved to 38-2. Alexander tossed the final two innings allowing one hit with two strikeouts.
In a total team effort, seven different Dukes knocked a base hit against the Golden Flashes. Junior infielder Morgan Tolle led JMU at the plate as she went 2-for-3 with a double and walk. Alexander also had a 2-for-3 outing with two singles.

After a combined two hits over the first three innings, Good, senior outfielder Taylor Newton and Alexander knocked three consecutive singles to lead off the top of the fourth. Redshirt sophomore Kassie Brammer attempted to score on Alexander's infield single and was originally called out at the plate, but third base umpire Keith Kearney overturned the call due to interference at third base allowing the redshirt sophomore to advance safely and put the Dukes up 1-0.

Tolle reached base for the third time in Saturday's elimination game with a leadoff single through the left side to open the top of the fifth. Junior pinch runner Mimi Morris swiped a base and moved to third on a groundout at second base before scoring on Good's groundout to third to extend the lead to 2-0. The RBI was Good's 58th of the season.

A Kent State error on senior infielder Niki Prince's dribbler to first base led off the top of the sixth. The Dukes capitalized with back-to-back doubles from freshman infielder Madison Naujokas and sophomore pinch hitter Paige Mitchell to plate a couple runs and extend JMU's lead to 4-0.

The JMU pitching staff dominated the last half of the game as Good and Alexander combined to retire 12 of the last 13 batters at the plate to help the Dukes advance championship Sunday.

QUOTING COACH DEAN
"It was a battle. Kent State is a very good team. I was frustrated over the first three innings. I didn't think we have good plate presence. Against Baylor, we didn't advance any runners, and here we were doing it again. We found our groove. Our pitchers did any amazing job. Megan [Good] only threw 64 pitches in our first game. That's unheard of, and that is why I allowed her to go as long as she did in the second game. Odicci [Alexander] came in and did exactly what she has been doing for the last month and a half. We are going to play it pitch by pitch. The game doesn't move any faster than that."

TWEET OF THE GAME

When @JMUSoftball keeps fighting, we keep rootin'! #ProudAndTrue #GoDukes
— JMU Duke Club (@JMUDukeClub) May 21, 2017

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Sunday will mark just the second NCAA Regional final in program history for the Dukes. It is also the first time in school history that JMU has advanced to the championship game from the losers' bracket. In JMU's first championship appearance, the Dukes knocked off Longwood 5-1 to win the 2016 Harrisonburg Regional.

QUOTING MEGAN GOOD
"Our goal from now on is to fight and to show what we have. Coach Dean has said tomorrow is all about one pitch at a time. We can't control what we can't control. We just going to take it one pitch at a time and see where it leads us."

PHOTO OF THE GAME - VIEW FULL GALLERY

Junior Morgan Tolle reached base in three of her four plate appearances on Saturday night.

BLANKING FOES
Saturday's victory was the third shutout win for the Dukes in Regional play. The Dukes also blanked Princeton 7-0 in the 2016 Harrisonburg Regional and Longwood 5-0 in the 2013 Knoxville Regional.

UP NEXT
JMU advances to the Waco Regional finale and will face Baylor on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. An if necessary game will is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Dukes must beat Baylor twice on Sunday to advance to NCAA Super Regionals.