BOONE, N.C. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison softball hit four home runs, winning its sixth straight game and taking the series-opener from App State, 10-2, on Friday evening at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.

JMU improved to 27-16 and 9-7 in Sun Belt Conference action on 10 runs and 12 hits, while App State dropped to 17-22 on two runs, five hits, and an error.

The Dukes four long balls boosted their season total to 55, the best in the Sun Belt. Bella Henzler and KK Mathis hit their 10th of the season, while Payton List and Lexi Rogers each added home runs. Madison Edwards finished 3-for-3 with a run scored, the first three-hit game of her career.

Alissa Humphrey (10-4) and Kirsten Fleet combined to hold App State to two runs while striking out three. Humphrey’s win was the 41st of her career, while her strikeout pushed her career total to 490. Fleet worked around traffic, allowing just one run over 3.1 innings.

How It Happened
• Reed Butler singled, Mathis walked, and List hit an RBI single to give the Dukes a 1-0 lead.
• With two runners on base, Henzler launched a three-run shot to extend the JMU’s lead to 4-0 in the first.
• Rogers capped off a five-run inning for the Dukes with a line-drive home run to center field to push the JMU lead to 5-0.
• Fleet walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, but a groundout ended the scoring threat for App, keeping the score 5-0.
• The Mountaineers scratched across a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI groundout.
• A one-out single from Hallie Hall in the top of the fifth set the stage for a two-run home run from Mathis, her 100th career base hit, extending the lead to 7-1.
• List notched her sixth home run of the year to open the advantage to 8-1 in the fifth.
• Two more runs from JMU in the top of the sixth extended the lead to 10-1, a Butler single and an RBI groundout.
• App State brought across a run in the bottom of the sixth, but a popup to first ended the game and gave the Dukes the 10-2 win.

Game Notes
• Edwards’ three-hit effort was the first of her career, raising her season batting average to .255.
• The Dukes hit 4-for-7 (.571) with runners in scoring position while holding App State to 0-for-8 (.000).
• Humphrey picked up the 41st win of her career, seventh in JMU history.
• JMU has now scored 54 runs and hit 17 home runs over its six-game winning streak.
• List is now hitting .431 in conference play with four doubles, four home runs, and 15 RBI.
• JMU is now 10-2 all-time against App State, winning the last four.
• Henzler’s three RBI are the seventh time she has notched multiple RBI this season.

Up Next
JMU and App State resume their series Saturday at 2 p.m. The Dukes will look to win their seventh straight game and second consecutive Sun Belt series.

— JMU Athletics —