WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Junior outfielder
Claudia Spinelli hit her first home run of the season, but it was not enough as No. 9 James Madison held off UNCW to earn a pair of victories in a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader at Boseman Field on Friday evening.
The Dukes, who improved to 24-2 on the season and 2-0 in the CAA, won the series opener by a 2-0 margin before posting a 2-1 triumph in the nightcap. The Seahawks fell to 19-11 on the season after dropping their first two CAA games of the season.
Spinelli was one of three UNCW players to record a hit in the doubleheader as the Dukes held UNCW to just three hits. Sophomore utility player
Kelsey Bryan and junior infielder
Lauren Moore each collected a base hit in the first game.
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Freshman
Haley Lenderman took the loss in the opener after allowing two runs on six hits in five innings. She also recorded three strikeouts.
Junior
Peyton Jordan gave up two runs on four hits in the nightcap, dropping her record to 10-3 on the season. Â
How It Happened – Game 1: The Dukes used RBI singles by
Morgan Tolle and
Taylor Newton in the fifth inning to build a 2-0 lead they did not relinquish. Meanwhile, sophomore
Megan Good held the Seahawks to just two hits while recording seven strikeouts in the circle. Â
How It Happened – Game 2: Senior catcher
Erica Field drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning with an infield single to break a 1-1 tie after Spinelli's solo home run in the fifth evened the score. Senior
Jailyn Ford recorded the victory in the circle after allowing one run on one hit with seven strikeouts.
Inside the Box Scores: 34 of the 42 outs recorded in the first game were by groundout or strikeout … James Madison was 15-for-31 in advancement opportunities in the doubleheader … The teams combined to leave 19 runners on base … Junior
Merritt Wilkinson was hit by a pitch twice in the nightcap … UNCW was 0-for-9 with runners on base.
#SeahawkStats: The losses snapped the Seahawks' six-game win streak … James Madison was playing for the first time since Mar. 13 after having a three-game series against East Carolina canceled … The Dukes have won five games in a row … Spinelli's home run was the fourth of her college career after belting three homers last year … She is the fifth UNCW player to hit a home run this season … Jordan suffered her first loss since Mar. 12 against UNCG … The Seahawks lost for the first time this season when hitting a home run … They are now 7-1 in those games.
Up Next for the Seahawks: UNCW and James Madison wrap up the three-game CAA series on Saturday afternoon with a single game at 1 p.m. It will be the Seahawks' final game of an 11-game homestand.
