Softball Honors Five Seniors; Splits Doubleheader with Coastal

Friday, May 3

Harrisonburg, Va.

12 p.m.

James Madison University

29-21, 11-12

Coastal Carolina

34-19, 14-9

Coastal Carolina

James Madison

Softball Honors Five Seniors; Splits Doubleheader with Coastal

5/3/2024 7:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison softball honored five seniors while also splitting a doubleheader with Coastal Carolina on Friday afternoon at Bank of the James Field at Veterans Memorial Park.

Coastal Carolina (34-20, 14-10 SBC) came away with an 8-4 win in Friday's opener before JMU (30-21, 12-12 SBC) took the second game by a score of 8-5.

Reed Butler led the Dukes at the plate on Friday, reaching safely in six of her eight plate appearances (.750). The graduate student hit two home runs, walked four times, scored five runs, and drove in two runs. Jasmine Hall finished the day 3-for-5 with a three-RBI double, while Kylie Thress collected a career-high three hits in game two.

In the circle, Alissa Humphrey logged 5.0 innings of relief in game two, while picking up her 11th win of the season and 42nd of her career. Senior Molly Grube started game two, working 3.0 innings and striking out a batter.

How It Happened
Game One: Coastal Carolina 8, James Madison 4

Bella Henzler got the scoring started in the bottom of the first, scoring Butler on an RBI single.
Kirsten Fleet worked a scoreless second while inducing a popup, which kept the score 1-0 after 1.5 innings.
Coastal struck for four runs in the top of the third, which included two unearned runs.
The teams traded scoreless frames until the Chanticleers broke the game open with a three-run top of the fifth, making the score 7-1.
H.Hall hit her 26th career home run in the bottom of the fifth, which trimmed CCU's lead to 7-3.
An RBI single from Coastal in the top of the sixth gave the visitors an 8-3 lead.
Butler rocketed a home run to left center in the bottom of the seventh, but the Dukes were unable to get any closer as the Chanticleers took the series with an 8-4 win.

Game Two: James Madison 8, Coastal Carolina 5

Coastal struck first in the top of the first inning on an RBI single from Georgia Hood.
Butler lined her second home run in as many plate appearances to even the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first.
CCU got that run back in the top of the second on a bases-loaded walk, but a double play ended the scoring for the visitors.
The Dukes used small ball to score three runs in the bottom of the second. A Madison Edwards infield single tied the score at 2-2, and senior Avery Pinder slapped an RBI groundout, scoring Edwards. A throwing error brought home Thress and gave JMU a 4-2 lead.
Both teams traded scoreless third innings before Riley Zana launched a three-run homer to give the Chanticleers a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth.
CCU held a 5-4 lead until the bottom of the fifth until J.Hall cleared the bases with a double, giving the Dukes a 7-4 lead.
Edwards reached on a fielder's choice, which scored another run and gave JMU an 8-5 advantage.
The Dukes were able to hold on for the 8-5 win, as senior Humphrey completed her fifth inning of relief while picking up her 11th win of the season.

Game Notes

Butler sits first in the Sun Belt in runs scored (52), third in batting average (.418), fourth in on-base percentage (.495), and third in hits (69).
Butler's on-base percentage of .495 would be the third-highest mark in school history.
JMU wrapped up its 2024 home schedule with a record of 18-5.
The Dukes have hit 69 home runs this season, the fifth-most in a single season in school history.
Butler also has reached base safely in 15 consecutive games.

Up Next
JMU heads to San Marcos, Texas for the 2024 Sun Belt Softball Championship (May 8-11). As it stands, the Dukes would be the No. 7 seed and play on Wednesday, May 8.