
Georgia Southern Tops JMU 4-2 in Sun Belt Opener
3/13/2026 6:36:00 PM | Softball
STATESBORO – The Georgia Southern Eagles (12-12, 1-0 SBC) opened Sun Belt play with a 4-2 victory over JMU (12-12, 0-1 SBC) on Friday afternoon at Eagle Field, using early offense and a complete-game effort in the circle from Bailey Holland to secure the series-opening win.
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Georgia Southern struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Veteran Emma Davis delivered an RBI single that brought home Jaycee Bilbrey, and Braelyn Queen followed with another run-scoring single up the middle to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead.
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The Eagles added to their advantage in the second inning when Bilbrey drove in Semira Tigg with an RBI single, extending the lead to 3-0.
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James Madison broke through in the fifth inning with a triple RBI to right-center field to cut the deficit to two runs. Georgia Southern responded in the sixth, capitalizing on a passed ball that allowed Demere Gray to score and push the Eagles' lead to 4-1.
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The Dukes threatened in the seventh inning, plating a run on an RBI single from Lewis, but Holland worked out of trouble to finish the complete game and secure the win.
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Holland (5-4) went the distance in the circle for the Eagles, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out two across seven innings.
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Davis led Georgia Southern offensively with a 2-for-2 performance with a run scored and an RBI, while Bilbrey and Queen each added an RBI. The Eagles totaled six hits in the contest.
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With the victory, Georgia Southern moves to 12-12 overall and 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, while James Madison falls to 12-12 and 0-1 in league action.
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The Eagles and the Dukes continue the three-game series Saturday at Eagle Field.
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Georgia Southern struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Veteran Emma Davis delivered an RBI single that brought home Jaycee Bilbrey, and Braelyn Queen followed with another run-scoring single up the middle to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead.
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The Eagles added to their advantage in the second inning when Bilbrey drove in Semira Tigg with an RBI single, extending the lead to 3-0.
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James Madison broke through in the fifth inning with a triple RBI to right-center field to cut the deficit to two runs. Georgia Southern responded in the sixth, capitalizing on a passed ball that allowed Demere Gray to score and push the Eagles' lead to 4-1.
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The Dukes threatened in the seventh inning, plating a run on an RBI single from Lewis, but Holland worked out of trouble to finish the complete game and secure the win.
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Holland (5-4) went the distance in the circle for the Eagles, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out two across seven innings.
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Davis led Georgia Southern offensively with a 2-for-2 performance with a run scored and an RBI, while Bilbrey and Queen each added an RBI. The Eagles totaled six hits in the contest.
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With the victory, Georgia Southern moves to 12-12 overall and 1-0 in Sun Belt Conference play, while James Madison falls to 12-12 and 0-1 in league action.
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The Eagles and the Dukes continue the three-game series Saturday at Eagle Field.
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Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Holland, Bailey (5-4)
L: Johnson, Taylor (3-3)
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Kendra 1
3B: Gleason, Kylee 1 ; Evans, Emma Jo 1
RBI: Gleason, Kylee 1 ; Lewis, Kendra 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lewis, Kendra 1 ; Evans, Emma Jo 1

Batting:
RBI: Davis, Emma 1 ; Queen, Braelyn 1 ; Bilbrey, Jaycee 1
SH: Kell, Brooke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tigg, Semira 1 ; Davis, Emma 1 ; Bilbrey, Jaycee 1 ; Gray , Demere 1
SB: Thames, Delanie 1
CS: Bilbrey, Jaycee 1
HBP: Christensen, Kayla 1
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