HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Towson University softball team opened the 2014 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament on Wednesday afternoon, falling to host James Madison, 3-2.
The Tigers mounted a comeback attempt in the top half of the seventh inning in an effort to upset the tournament's top seed. Trailing 3-1, Towson freshman Jessica South led off with a solo homerun to leftfield to make the score 3-2. The Tigers put runners on first and second with one out, but Dukes pitcher Jailyn Ford, the 2014 CAA Pitcher of the Year, struck out Hailey Balk and induced a groundout from Maureen Hepner to end the game.
The fourth-seeded Tigers (27-24) got the game's first hit when Holiday Cahill singled sharply up the middle with two outs in the top of the second. Cahill was named to the CAA all-rookie team Tuesday night at the league's awards banquet.
But in the bottom of the frame, the Dukes (42-13) answered when CAA Player of the Year Caitlin Sandy singled through the left side. Sandy came around to score when Cassidy Clayton hit a long double to centerfield, giving James Madison a 1-0 advantage after two innings.
In the third, James Madison added two runs on a sacrifice fly Erica Field. Tahli Moore scored from third base on the play, and Niki Prince also came home on a misplayed ball from the Towson infield. The play gave the Dukes a 3-0 lead.
In the sixth inning, the Tiger duo of Missy McCormick and Hepner, who had combined for 97 RBIs in the regular season, were at it again. After Hepner reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an error, McCormick singled down the leftfield line. Hepner then came around to score on another error as the Tigers came to within a 3-1 margin.
McCormick was the losing pitcher for Towson, but threw well in defeat. She allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. She is 15-10 this season.
Ford was the game's winner, going seven innings and allowing the two runs.
Cahill finished the game with two of Towson's eight hits, raising her average to .316.
Towson will face an opponent yet to be determined at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in an elimination game from the tournament.
