JMU Captures Sixth CAA Softball Championship With 17-0 Victory Over Delaware
Rob Washburn
Box Score CAA Championship Central Photo Gallery
HARRISONBURG, Va. (May 14, 2021) – Top-seeded James Madison completed a dominant run through the 2021 CAA Softball Championship presented by Primis, defeating 4
th-seeded Delaware, 17-0, in five innings to capture its sixth conference title on Friday afternoon at JMU’s Veterans Memorial Park.
It was the nation’s-best 24
th consecutive victory for the 22
nd-ranked Dukes (34-1), who took home their fifth CAA tournament trophy since 2014. JMU earns an automatic berth into its eighth straight NCAA Softball Championship. Delaware, which advanced to the CAA championship game for the first time since 2004, fell to 25-9 after the setback.
The Dukes set a record for most runs in a CAA championship game and outscored their three opponents in the tournament, 32-0. JMU’s pitching staff gave up just two hits in the tournament and they became the first team to not allow a run in the event. It was also the program-record seventh consecutive shutout.
JMU senior outfielder Kate Gordon was selected as the Most Outstanding Player after batting .778 (7-for-9) and setting new tournament records with six home runs and 12 RBI’s over the three days. She finished 2-for-2 with two homers, three runs scored and four RBI’s on Friday.
Outfielder Logan Newton went 3-for-3 and drove in seven against the Blue Hens, tying the CAA Tournament record for RBI’s in a game. Shortstop Sara Jubas was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI’s.
Senior right-hander Odicci Alexander improved to 12-0 on the mound after limiting Delaware to a pair of hits over 5.0 innings and striking out 12. She recorded 28 strikeouts over 12.0 scoreless innings in the tournament.
JMU took control from the outset, scoring 11 runs on eight hits in the first inning. For the third straight day Gordon delivered a leadoff homer for a quick 1-0 lead. Five of the next seven Dukes’ hitters singled, with Newton, Hallie Hall and Hannah Shifflett driving in runs to give JMU a 5-0 advantage. A bases loaded walk to Gordon and Jubas’ second base hit of the inning brought two more runs across, and Newton capped the big frame with a grand slam over the wall in left-center.
The Dukes tacked on four more runs in the third. Gordon launched a two-run homer to left, giving her multiple long balls for the third consecutive game. JMU also plated runs on a bases loaded walk to Lynsey Meeks and a sacrifice fly by Hall.
JMU’s final runs came on a two-run double to left-center by Newton in the fourth.
Delaware got back-to-back hits in the third as Chayanna Gallardo singled and Julz Garber followed with a double to the left-center gap. However, Alexander was able to retire the next two batters to end the inning.
Gordon was joined on the CAA All-Tournament team by teammates Alexander, Jubas and Newton. Delaware had Brittney Mendoza, Karolina Flores and Julz Garber chosen to the squad. Drexel’s Brooklyn Daly and Linda Rush, and Elon’s Megan Grant and Ally Repko rounded out the team.
CAA Softball All-Tournament Team
Kate Gordon, James Madison (Most Outstanding Player)
Odicci Alexander, James Madison
Sara Jubas, James Madison
Logan Newton, James Madison
Karolina Flores, Delaware
Julz Garber, Delaware
Brittney Mendoza, Delaware
Brooklyn Daly, Drexel
Linda Rush, Drexel
Megan Grant, Elon
Ally Repko, Elon