Daily CAA Championshps Blog: Wednesday, May 12 

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- James Madison pitcher Olivia McPherson hurled a complete game shutout as the Dukes knocked off No. 2 seed Georgia State, 3-0, to advance to the winner's bracket at the 2010 CAA Championships. The Panthers must now try and fight their way through the loser's bracket.

GSU (35-18) will face off against Towson (33-22) for the fourth time in under a week on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. JMU (24-31) meets Hofstra (41-10) at noon for the right to advance to Friday's championship game.

In a game played in 40-degree temperatures and a constant drizzle, McPherson (8-5) allowed only four hits, two walks and two hit batsmen, while striking out six to earn the victory. Georgia State, who never advanced a runner past second base, had few opportunities against McPherson, who earned her third-straight complete game victory.

Freshman McCall Langford (14-4) suffered the loss allowing three runs on eight hits.  

The Dukes got on the scoreboard first in the second inning. After Katie Spitzer swung at a McCall Langford pitch and struck out, she was able to advance to first as the pitch went to the backstop. The wild pitch cost GSU, as Spitzer eventually scored on a Manning single to center field.

JMU added to its lead in the fourth with a pair of runs to extend the lead to 3-0. Caitlen Manning singled to center and advanced to second on a fielding error by Audrey Mason. Jasmine Butler, a first-team All-CAA selection, rounded three bases to score from first, while Shannon Moxey scored from third.

Manning went 3-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Dukes. Danielle Roddy had a pair of hits to lead GSU, while Mason and Tiffany Bess had the other two.

The loss marks the third-straight season GSU has lost the first game to get relegated to the loser's bracket. GSU swept Towson in a three-game series last weekend in Panthersville. Towson has eliminated the Panthers the last two years from the CAA Championship.