Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box
NORFOLK, Va. – The NSU softball team suffered a pair of losses Wednesday afternoon, falling to James Madison, 4-1 and 1-0, at the NSU Softball Field.
James Madison shut down the NSU offense as the Dukes improved to 11-4 with the wins. NSU fell to 3-9 overall. Originally scheduled for Harrisonburg, Va., the doubleheader was moved to Norfolk earlier in the week.
Brittany Jeans allowed just two hits and struck out 13 batters in seven innings for James Madison in Game 2, as she improved to 2-3 on the year. Freshman Jamie Schulle pitched well for the Spartans in the complete game, giving up just one earned run on seven hits with four strikeouts. Schulle's record fell to 1-3 on the year.
JMU's Cara Stecher (5-0) gave up one run on six hits with five strikeouts in all seven innings of Game 1. Junior Casey Pomeroy (1-2) allowed four runs, two earned, on eight hits while going the distance for NSU. Freshman catcher Kathy Cortez had two hits in the first game.
The Spartans got on the board first in their half of the first inning in Game 1. With two outs, Cortez and senior Jeanette Sauceda singled into center field to put runners on first and second. Pomeroy lined yet another one-bagger into center field to score Cortez for the early 1-0 lead.
James Madison tied things up in the next half inning on a sacrifice fly by Katie Spitzer, and then scored the winning run in the third inning when Caitlen Manning singled down the left field line to score Ashley Burnham from second base. Burnham scored two runs and had three hits in the first game of the afternoon.
JMU added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh when Manning stroked a single to center field for her second RBI of the game and Jasmine Butler hit an RBI groundout to second.
NSU had its best chance to score again in the bottom of the second inning, when the Spartans had runners in scoring position with two outs. NSU got thrown out at home on a hit to third base to end the threat. The Spartans were able to get just four base runners on in the last five innings, and none got past second base. NSU left eight runners on base in the game.
Schulle worked out of numerous jams in the second game, as the Dukes left a runner on base in each of the first six innings. James Madison nearly pushed a run across the plate in the first inning. Chelsea Ryan singled with one out, stole second, and then advanced to third base on a groundout to second. Butler struck out for the third out but raced to first on the wild pitch. When Cortez threw down to first in an attempt to get Butler, Ryan raced for home but was gunned down by NSU second baseman Candice Vasquez.
Sauceda opened the bottom of the fifth inning with a double to right center for NSU's first hit of the game. Freshman first baseman Melina Valles sacrificed Sauceda to third, but Jeans struck out the next two batters to preserve the scoreless game.
The Dukes finally got a run on the board in the top of the seventh when Burnham hit a two-out, RBI single to left center to score pinch runner Lindsey Tomasz.
The Spartans will return to their home field Saturday for the two-day Spartan Classic. Action gets underway both days at 9 a.m.
