Dukes Drop Pair of Games to South Alabama in Sun Belt Opener

Friday, March 14

Mobile, Ala.

5 p.m. ET ( 4 p.m. CT)

James Madison University

11-11, 0-1

South Alabama

12-15, 1-0

James Madison

South Alabama

Dukes Drop Pair of Games to South Alabama in Sun Belt Opener

3/14/2025 10:57:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MOBILE, Ala. – Clutch hitting from the Jaguars set the tone as James Madison softball dropped its first two games in Sun Belt Conference play by 5-0 in game one and 5-3 in contest two, at Jaguar Field in Mobile, Ala., on Friday evening.

South Alabama (13-15) quieted the JMU (11-12) bats in game one as Ryley Harrison threw a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits while striking out four.
It was the fourth complete game of the season for Harrison and her first shutout during the 2025 campaign.

The Jags' offense in game one was led by two two-run home runs off the bats of Presley Lively and Stephanie Gonzalez and a run scoring on a JMU passed ball.

Both hits for the Dukes in game one came at the hands of Payton List, who went 2-for-3 with a double.

James Madison's offense found life in the second game of the night, as the Dukes grabbed an early 3-1 lead on Madison Edwards' team-leading sixth double of the year, a two-run drive to the left-center field gap.

Taking a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning, JMU surrendered two runs on an RBI single from Gabby Stagner, who was the difference maker for South Alabama. Stagner went 2-for-3, with three RBI in the Jaguars' come-from-behind victory.

List's eighth home run of the year came in the bottom of the seventh inning, pushing the Dukes to within a run, but the comeback fell short as two of the next three hitters popped up to end the game.

How It Happened

South Alabama 5, James Madison 0
Third Inning

The Jaguars scored first on a passed ball for an early 1-0 lead
Presley Lively took a 3-2 pitch over the left-center field wall for South Alabama for a two-run shot, making it a 3-0 ballgame

Sixth Inning

USA added two more on another two-run home run, this time off the bat of Stephanie Gonzalez for the 5-0 Jaguar advantage

South Alabama 5, James Madison 3
Top of the First Inning

Lexi Rogers delivered the Dukes' first run of the day on a bloop RBI single with two on to lead 1-0

Bottom of the First Inning

South Alabama's Gabby Stagner tied the game with a one-out single to left, scoring the runner from second

Top of the Third Inning

With two runners aboard and two away, Edwards doubled to the left-center field gap, scoring both to make it a 3-1 Dukes advantage

Bottom of the Third Inning

Stagner came around to score on a JMU fielding error to cut the lead to one heading into the fourth

Fifth Inning

Stagner once again delivered for the Jags, this time an RBI single to center field to score two, putting South Alabama ahead by a score of 4-3

Sixth Inning

Brooklynn Bockhaus gave USA an insurance run with an RBI double down the left field line and capped the Jags scoring at 5-3

Seventh Inning

List wrapped a solo home run around the left field foul pole to bring the Dukes back to one, 5-3

Game Notes

Today's contests between James Madison and South Alabama marked the first time the two programs have met in a regular-season conference series
JMU is 0-3 in Sun Belt Conference openers since joining the league, ahead of the 2023 season. Overall, the Dukes are 12-11 in conference openers in their history
List extended her hitting streak to a career-best nine games, and has 12 multi-hit games on the season which is just two shy of her 2024 total
Edwards' six doubles is a single-season career-high, surpassing her total of five during her 2024 freshman campaign
Kylee Gleason and Rogers extended their on-base streaks to six and three games, respectively