“We can beat anybody.” What JMU softball learned following three-game series at Marshall

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The James Madison softball team returns to Harrisonburg to host its final regular season home series. The Dukes will take on Appalachian State beginning on Friday.

JMU is coming off a road series at Marshall. Although the Herd took two out of three, JMU likes the way they competed against one of the Sun Belt’s best.

“We hung with Marshall all weekend,” said infielder KK Mathis. “Watching them beat Virginia Tech, it just gives you that confidence that we hung with them all weekend. We can beat anybody. We have all the tools to do it. It’s just a matter of showing up and getting the job done.”

Marshall blew out JMU 10-2 in six innings the first game of the series but the Dukes rallied to win game two 7-6. JMU held a 3-2 lead through five innings in the series rubber match but The Herd scored six runs in the sixth inning on its way to an 8-4 series clinching win.

“I was super proud of our offense for coming back on Saturday and Sunday,” said JMU head coach Loren LaPorte. “I feel like we got in a really good rhythm on offense on Saturday and Sunday.”

The key for JMU is carrying over the positives from the Marshall series into this weekend’s series against Appalachian State.

“That’s what we talked about after the game on Sunday,” said LaPorte. “Let’s see the positive in this and let’s take this offensive rhythm into next weekend.”

The three-game series with Appalachian State begins this upcoming Friday at 4 p.m.

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