James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Saturday, April 3
Harrisonburg, Va.
11:30 a.m.
James Madison University
12-1, 0
17
vs
2
College of Charleston
4-19, 0
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Charleston
0
0
2
0
0
2
5
1
James Madison
1
6
2
8
X
17
14
1
Bats Catch Fire as Dukes Dominate Charleston
4/3/2021 6:30:00 PM | Softball
HARRISONBURG, VA – James Madison softball (13-1, 4-1) powered past College of Charleston (4-20, 0-5), on Saturday afternoon, winning its first conference doubleheader of the 2021 season. The Dukes won the first game 17-2 in five innings and followed with a 11-3 victory in six innings while Alexis Bermudez picked up two wins in the circle.
JMU finished the doubleheader with a .472 batting average going for 25-for-53 at the plate. Lynsey Meeks led the Dukes going 5-for-7 with five hits, two being home runs while adding on four RBI.
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Logan Newton finished with a .600 batting averaging with one double and two homers, one being the walk off game winner in the second game against the Cougars. Kate Gordon recorded two homers, one was an in the park home run, to push her career record to 56.
Game 1
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The Dukes got on the board first in the bottom of the first off a solo homer to right center from Newton to give JMU the 1-0 lead over the Cougars. In the bottom of the second JMU went to work as Meeks hit her first homer of the game to left center to start off the frame. Lauren Bernett hit a double down the left field line to move Hallie Hall, who drew a walk to get on base, to third as Bernett moved to second. Michelle Sullivan drew another walk for the Dukes and the bases were loaded.
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Hannah Shifflett took the batter's box and drew the count to full before sending her second grand slam of the season over of the left field fence to increase the Dukes' lead to 6-0. Gordon followed with another home run to left field to push the final run of the frame for the Dukes.
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Charleston followed with two runs of their own in the top of the third off a RBI single to left center and a sacrifice fly to right field to cut JMU's lead to 7-2. The Dukes answered back with two runs of their own off a sacrifice fly from Gordon that drove in Sullivan and a RBI single off the bat of Sara Jubas to bring in Shifflett.
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The Dukes shut the Cougars down at the plate in the top of fourth to get back to the batter's box. JMU's bats were hot in the bottom of the inning as the Dukes pushed eight runs in the frame. Meeks got the fire going as she recorded a base hit to left center. Three batters later, Michelle Sullivan drilled a single down the left line to drive in Hannah Hennessy on third. Shifflett sacrificed a ball of to left center to bring in Hall on third to increase JMU's lead to 11-2.
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Gordon kept the momentum going with a RBI single down the left field line. Madison Storey came in to pinch hit for the Dukes and did not disappoint as she recorded a base hit down the right field line for two RBI. Emily Phillips entered the game as a pinch hitter and added on another base hit for the Dukes.
JMU was back to the start of the line up as Meeks enter the batter's box for the second time in the frame. She launched the ball over fence for three-run homer, pushing the Dukes to a 17-2 lead. Â
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The Dukes collected three quick outs in the top of the fifth to win 17-2 in five innings over College of Charleston. Bermudez was in the circle for the Dukes striking out four batters and did not give up any walks.
Game 2
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James Madison was the first to get on the board and kept their lead the entire game. In the bottom of the first, Gordon hit a leadoff double to right center as Jubas followed with a triple to center to drive in Gordon. Jubas kept the momentum going to round the bases and score later in the frame to give JMU the 2-0 lead.
The teams remained scoreless through the second inning before JMU tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the third. The frame started with a inside the park home run off the bat a Gordon. Madison Naujokas launched a double to right center that drove in Newton and Jubas to push JMU to a 6-0 lead.
Charleston answered back in the top of the fourth with a three-run homer to left center to cut JMU's lead to 6-3. In the bottom frame, Sullivan hit a leadoff double down the left line to get the Dukes started. With Sullivan on base and two outs, Jubas drilled the ball over the center field fence for her first homer of the game increasing JMU's lead to 9-3.
In the top of the fifth Naujokas made a huge defensive play for the first out stopping the ball from leaving the infield, after Shifflett slowed it down with her glove. Bermudez struck out two batters swinging to end the frame and get the Dukes back to the batter's box. In the bottom of the inning, Meeks and Hall each recorded a single to get on base. Bernett followed with a homer to left center for three RBI increasing JMU's lead to 10-3.
JMU collected three grounded outs to get back to the plate. Newton closed the game in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer to right center to give JMU the 11-3 victory over Charleston, capturing the doubleheader sweep.
Up Next
JMU will host College of Charleston in the final game of the weekend series on Sunday, April 4, at Veterans Memorial Park. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
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JMU finished the doubleheader with a .472 batting average going for 25-for-53 at the plate. Lynsey Meeks led the Dukes going 5-for-7 with five hits, two being home runs while adding on four RBI.
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Logan Newton finished with a .600 batting averaging with one double and two homers, one being the walk off game winner in the second game against the Cougars. Kate Gordon recorded two homers, one was an in the park home run, to push her career record to 56.
Game 1
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The Dukes got on the board first in the bottom of the first off a solo homer to right center from Newton to give JMU the 1-0 lead over the Cougars. In the bottom of the second JMU went to work as Meeks hit her first homer of the game to left center to start off the frame. Lauren Bernett hit a double down the left field line to move Hallie Hall, who drew a walk to get on base, to third as Bernett moved to second. Michelle Sullivan drew another walk for the Dukes and the bases were loaded.
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Hannah Shifflett took the batter's box and drew the count to full before sending her second grand slam of the season over of the left field fence to increase the Dukes' lead to 6-0. Gordon followed with another home run to left field to push the final run of the frame for the Dukes.
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Charleston followed with two runs of their own in the top of the third off a RBI single to left center and a sacrifice fly to right field to cut JMU's lead to 7-2. The Dukes answered back with two runs of their own off a sacrifice fly from Gordon that drove in Sullivan and a RBI single off the bat of Sara Jubas to bring in Shifflett.
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The Dukes shut the Cougars down at the plate in the top of fourth to get back to the batter's box. JMU's bats were hot in the bottom of the inning as the Dukes pushed eight runs in the frame. Meeks got the fire going as she recorded a base hit to left center. Three batters later, Michelle Sullivan drilled a single down the left line to drive in Hannah Hennessy on third. Shifflett sacrificed a ball of to left center to bring in Hall on third to increase JMU's lead to 11-2.
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Gordon kept the momentum going with a RBI single down the left field line. Madison Storey came in to pinch hit for the Dukes and did not disappoint as she recorded a base hit down the right field line for two RBI. Emily Phillips entered the game as a pinch hitter and added on another base hit for the Dukes.
JMU was back to the start of the line up as Meeks enter the batter's box for the second time in the frame. She launched the ball over fence for three-run homer, pushing the Dukes to a 17-2 lead. Â
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The Dukes collected three quick outs in the top of the fifth to win 17-2 in five innings over College of Charleston. Bermudez was in the circle for the Dukes striking out four batters and did not give up any walks.
Game 2
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James Madison was the first to get on the board and kept their lead the entire game. In the bottom of the first, Gordon hit a leadoff double to right center as Jubas followed with a triple to center to drive in Gordon. Jubas kept the momentum going to round the bases and score later in the frame to give JMU the 2-0 lead.
The teams remained scoreless through the second inning before JMU tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the third. The frame started with a inside the park home run off the bat a Gordon. Madison Naujokas launched a double to right center that drove in Newton and Jubas to push JMU to a 6-0 lead.
Charleston answered back in the top of the fourth with a three-run homer to left center to cut JMU's lead to 6-3. In the bottom frame, Sullivan hit a leadoff double down the left line to get the Dukes started. With Sullivan on base and two outs, Jubas drilled the ball over the center field fence for her first homer of the game increasing JMU's lead to 9-3.
In the top of the fifth Naujokas made a huge defensive play for the first out stopping the ball from leaving the infield, after Shifflett slowed it down with her glove. Bermudez struck out two batters swinging to end the frame and get the Dukes back to the batter's box. In the bottom of the inning, Meeks and Hall each recorded a single to get on base. Bernett followed with a homer to left center for three RBI increasing JMU's lead to 10-3.
JMU collected three grounded outs to get back to the plate. Newton closed the game in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer to right center to give JMU the 11-3 victory over Charleston, capturing the doubleheader sweep.
Up Next
JMU will host College of Charleston in the final game of the weekend series on Sunday, April 4, at Veterans Memorial Park. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bermudez, Alexis (4-1)
L: Payton Lemire (1-6)
Batting:
2B: Mia Dittoe 1
RBI: Shealyn Starks 1 ; Jenna Helberg 1
SF: Jenna Helberg 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mia Dittoe 1 ; Kayla Gutierrez 1
Batting:
2B: Bernett, Lauren 1
HR: Gordon, Kate 1 ; Newton, Logan 1 ; Meeks, Lynsey 2 ; Shifflett, Hannah 1
RBI: Gordon, Kate 3 ; Jubas, Sara 1 ; Newton, Logan 1 ; Storey, Madison 2 ; Meeks, Lynsey 4 ; Sullivan, Michelle 1 ; Shifflett, Hannah 5
SF: Gordon, Kate 1 ; Shifflett, Hannah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gordon, Kate 2 ; Newton, Logan 1 ; Storey, Madison 1 ; Phillips, Emily 1 ; Meeks, Lynsey 2 ; Hennessy, Hannah 1 ; Hall, Hallie 2 ; Bernett, Lauren 2 ; Sullivan, Michelle 3 ; Shifflett, Hannah 2
SB: Gordon, Kate 1 ; Jubas, Sara 1
HBP: Sullivan, Michelle 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
4
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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INF/C
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OF
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INF
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C/INF
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INF
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C
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OF
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