COLUMBIA, Mo. — Oklahoma City Bound! James Madison made history on Sunday, securing its first berth in the Women's College World Series with a 7-2 triumph at No. 8 Missouri to win the Columbia Super Regional at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
The Dukes improved to 39-2 and will face top-seeded Oklahoma next Thursday at noon in the opening game of the WCWS. The Tigers ended their season at 42-17.
JMU becomes the first school not from a power five conference to reach the Women's College World Series since Louisiana achieved the feat back in 2014.
It's also the first time since 2012 that a non-seeded team will play in Oklahoma City, as JMU and Georgia join the 2012 LSU and South Florida squads.
After recording just one hit with two batters reaching base through three innings, the JMU bats came alive in the latter half, as the Dukes registered 11 hits with 15 safely reaching base over the final four innings.
Logan Newton went 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI single in the seventh. Sara Jubas and Odicci Alexander both went 2-for-4 with a RBI, as Jubas scored twice and Alexander crossed the plate once. Lauren Bernett also went 2-for-4 with a RBI.
Alexander (16-1) went the distance in the circle, throwing a complete-game four hitter with two runs, five walks and six strikeouts.
JMU limited one of the nation's top-hitting programs to just four hits on the day, while forcing the Tigers to rotate three pitchers into their lineup. Jordan Weber went four innings, allowing two runs, three hits and a walk to go with four strikeouts. Laurin Krings entered in the fifth, conceding four runs (three earned) with seven hits and just one strikeout in two innings.
