JMU Picks Up Pair of Saturday Wins at River City Leadoff

Saturday, February 10

Jacksonville, Fla. / UNF Softball Complex

1:30 p.m.

James Madison University

3-0

Ball State

0-3

Ball State

James Madison

JMU Picks Up Pair of Saturday Wins at River City Leadoff

2/10/2024 11:37:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The James Madison softball team won a pair of games on day two of the River City Leadoff, taking down Ball State 8-1 and North Florida 3-2 in the nightcap on Saturday.

The Dukes are now 4-0 on the season, dropping Ball State to 0-3 and handing North Florida its first loss of the season (3-1).

Alissa Humphrey pitched a complete game in the win versus Ball State, allowing only two hits and fanning six batters. Payton List, making her collegiate debut in the nightcap against North Florida, picked up the win, pitching 4.1 innings and striking out five batters. Through four games, the JMU pitching staff has allowed a combined five earned runs, good for an ERA of 1.25.

Catcher Bella Henzler finished 5-of-9 (.555) at the plate for the Dukes, while Reed Butler hit a home run in the win versus Ball State – her fourth extra-base hit of the season. Through four games, Butler has three doubles and a home run and owns an OPS of 1.275.

How It Happened
JMU 8, Ball State 1
Second Inning
KK Mathis walked to start the inning, followed by a bunt from Hallie Hall to put on two runners for Reed Butler. After Butler laid down a sacrifice bunt, Lexi Rogers brought home H. Hall on a sacrifice fly to left field, and following an error, a wild pitch allowed H.Hall to score from third to give the Dukes a 2-0 lead.

Fourth Inning
H. Hall reached on a throwing error, and Butler crushed a home run to left field, which made the score 4-0. An RBI single from Henzler brought home Avery Pinder to make the score 5-0, and a slew of Ball State errors allowed two more JMU runs to score, extending the lead to 7-0.

Sixth Inning
Ball State got on the board with a home run to right by Haley Wynn.

Seventh Inning
H. Hall padded the Dukes' lead with a double to center field, which knocked in Kylie Thress and gave JMU an 8-1 lead.

JMU 3, North Florida 2
First Inning
Henzler led off the game with a single before Fishman and Jasmine Hall walked to load the bases with one out. Mathis subsequently lined a single to left field, bringing home Henzler to make the score 1-0.

Third Inning
J. Hall led off the inning with a single up the middle before Mathis narrowly missed a homer, recording a double off the wall. After a H. Hall popup, Butler continued her torrid start to the season with a double to right field, scoring Mathis and J. Hall.

Fifth Inning
North Florida added its first runs of the game in the fifth on an RBI double from Shannon Glover, making the score 3-1. The Ospreys added another run on a double steal, cutting the deficit to 3-2 heading into the sixth.

Seventh Inning
Kirsten Fleet shut the door on any Osprey rally hopes as the freshman sat UNF down 1-2-3 with a strikeout, groundout, and flyout.

Game Notes

JMU moved to 2-0 all-time vs. Ball State and 3-2 against North Florida.
Butler picked up her fourth extra-base hit of the season in the win vs. Ball State.
In four games, four different pitchers for JMU have all earned wins - Molly Grube, Kirsten Fleet, Alissa Humphrey, and Payton List.
Fleet closed out her first career save, pitching 2.2 innings while striking out three.
Through four games, JMU's pitching staff has allowed only five runs and owns a 1.25 ERA.
List made her JMU debut, pitching 4.2 innings and striking out five along with earning the win.
JMU is now 4-0 for the first time since 2021.
Abbie Campbell drew two walks vs. Ball State and now owns a team-leading four walks this season.

Up Next
The Dukes close out their opening weekend at the River City Leadoff with a nonconference tilt versus Southern Miss at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at the UNF Softball Complex.