JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville softball team split its double header against James Madison and Ball State University on opening day of the 2024 season.
 
Skylar Waggoner and Ashlee Harwood started in the circle for the Dolphins, and both threw complete games. Waggoner made her first career start against James Madison to start the game and picked up her first career strikeouts and Harwood allowed zero earned runs just two hits en route to striking out five and earning her first win of the season.
 
"Skylar is extremely mature for a freshman, she plays like a vet," said head coach Erica Ayers. "She was the best match up for them and there was zero hesitation on that move."
 
Kailey Harrigan and the Bratek sisters, Allison and Madison, all had multi-hit games at two a piece, while Allison also hit hers and JU's first home run of the season.
 
GAME ONE VS. JMU

The Dolphins fell to the James Madison Dukes in what was JU's first game of the afternoon, 5-1.
 
Allison Bratek recorded the Dolphins' lone run on a solo shot that cleared the left field fence and fell just to the side of the scoreboard in the second inning. Madison Reynolds started her season off by reaching base twice and added a stolen base on the afternoon in the bottom of the first inning. Her lone out was a near-perfect line drive to center field, but unfortunately, it went right at the JMU centerfielder.
 
James Madison, who won earlier in the afternoon and had 28 wins on the season in 2023, struck first in the second inning off a single down the right-field line that scored a pair of Dukes. A hard line drive to centerfield would have scored another, but Madison Bratek had a laser of a throw to catcher Hallie Kern at home to end the inning and the threat. Freshman Skylar Waggoner, who made her collegiate debut as the team's opening day starter, then limited the Dukes to just one base runner across the next three innings. JMU would add to its lead in the top of the sixth inning off a double to center field and ultimately scored two more in the seventh. Bratek and Alison Carter both singled in the final frame as the Dolphins tried to mount a comeback, but a pair of strikeouts and a fly out ended the attempt at a rally, and JMU started its season off 2-0 with both wins on Friday.
 
 
Waggoner pitched a complete game and allowed three earned runs on 11 hits. She recorded her first and second career strikeouts in the first inning and finished the game with four K's. Kirsten Fleet, who's also a freshman, started for JMU and pitched all seven frames. She surrendered five hits and struck out five.

GAME TWO VS. BALL STATE

Jacksonville responded immediately in its second game of the doubleheader as they defeated Ball State, 4-2 to close out the day.

"I loved our immediate response after the game one loss," said Ayers. "Ashlee came out throwing strikes and we put up two early runs. Some unfortunate mistakes late made game two a lot closer than it needed to be, again I'm proud of the response to close it out."

After a 1-2-3 first inning from Harwood that saw the junior Aussie strike out two, Jacksonville's offense came out hot with two runs in the home half of the frame. Reynolds started the inning with a walk, followed by consecutive singles from Allison Bratek and Kailey Harrigan. Kari Holzrichter then reached on a fielder's choice that scored Reynolds, and Madison Bratek ripped a double through the left side, scoring her sister Allison and giving JU a 2-0 lead early.
 
Jacksonville then doubled its lead in the fourth inning off an Averi Harcus laser that hit the right-center gap with pace and resulted in a double for the redshirt sophomore. Carter had reached on a walk earlier in the inning and wound up crossing home, as well as Gabi Robles, who had reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the frame.
 
The Cardinals got two runs back in the top half of the sixth inning. After the first two batters reached via the walk, Harwood got the next two Cardinals to fly out. A Dolphins error saw Ball State score and put runners on the corners. The Cardinals then executed a steal from first to second, and while the ball was in the air, sent their runner from third home successfully to cut the lead in half. Harwood then got the eighth BSU batter to fly out and halt the burst. Jacksonville was unable to extend its lead in the home half of the sixth, and it was onto the seventh with JU boasting a two-run lead.
 
Ball State singled in its first at-bat of the seventh inning and then used an error and a hit by the pitch to load the bases with only one away. With the Cardinals having ducks on the pond, the tying run was standing on second base. Ball State would subsequently ground out twice, and the game would end with Jacksonville clinching its first victory of the season. Averi Harcus had her second career multi-RBI game as she hit home two Dolphins.
 
UP NEXT

The Dolphins return to action tomorrow, February 10, for part two of the River City Leadoff. JU plays host to Fordham and Southern Miss, with first pitch slated for 1:30 and 4:00 pm. Live stats can be found on JUDolphins.com

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Bratek's home run is the fourth of her career after she hit three a season ago.
• Waggoner is the first freshman to pitch the opening game for the JU season in over a decade.