May 3, 2003
Box Score | Box Score 2
HARRISONBURG, Va. - The James Madsion University softball team dropped a pair of Colonial Athletic Association games by the scores of 6-5 and 6-4 to the Patriots of George Mason on Saturday afternoon at the JMU Softball Complex. An RBI single by sophomore Jen Schultz in the top of the seventh propelled the Patriots to a win in the first game of the doubleheader. In the second game of the twin bill, George Mason erased a 4-2 JMU lead, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh, with Schultz again leading the way with two hits and two RBI.
With the two loses and a Delaware win at Towson, the Dukes will be on the outside looking in, as they fail to qualify for the CAA tournament this season.
In the first game of the weekend set the Dukes got on the board first as freshman Lauren Curtis (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) scored on an RBI double by freshman Briana Carrera (San Diego, Calif./Bonita Vista) in the bottom of the first inning. The Patriots tied the game at one in the top of the second as senior Tasha Galecki scored from third on a JMU error.
Freshman Megan Smith (Sterling, Va./Park View) scored on a GMU error and sophomore Ashlee Schenk (Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) connected on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to give the Dukes a 3-1 lead. GMU came right back in the top of third as freshman Missy Hartman had an RBI double to right field and Schultz hit a two-run homer to left field giving the Patriots a 4-3 lead.
GMU added one more in the fourth, but JMU rallied in the bottom of the fifth as Carrera connected on an RBI double and Schenk singled home red-shirt junior Leah Evert (McLean, Va./ McLean) to notch the game at five.
In the second game of the twin bill the score was 2-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. RBI doubles by Smith and Curtis allowed the Dukes to grab a 4-2 lead. The margin would be short-lived as GMU scored four runs in the top of the seventh including a double by junior Kim Braxton that scored a pair of runs for the Patriots.
Junior Miranda Fox picked up the win on the mound for the Patriots in the second game. JMU is now 18-30 on the season and 5-8 in the CAA, while GMU improves to 28-20 overall and 8-6 in conference action.
Curtis was a combined 6-8 with four runs scored and an RBI for the Dukes. She is now batting .638 in CAA play.
The Dukes and the Patriots will play the final game of the weekend series Sunday, May 4 at 1 p.m. at the JMU Softball Complex.
