By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
James Madison Dukes have announced that softball player Lauren Bernett has passed away. No age was provided.
An official cause of death has not been announced yet.

“Our hearts are aching, hearing the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes,” James Madison President Jonathan Alger said in a statement. “Lauren Bernett was a high-achieving member of our softball team and a great ambassador of JMU and our athletics program. She was a key member of our 2021 Women’s College World Series team as a freshman catcher last year. College athletics is great because of the people with whom we get to interact every day. We are a tight family. We are grateful that Lauren has been part of our JMU Athletics community and will always consider her to be a Duke. We will miss her dearly.
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“Our thoughts are with her family; her coaches, teammates, and friends; the rest of our department staff and student-athletes; and the entire JMU community. JMU Nation is a close community, and we grieve together.”
The Dukes’ softball team has canceled their doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday. James Madison was scheduled to play the Longwood Lancers in the contests.
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These games will be played at a later date. At this time, an announcement has not been made.
Bernett, a sophomore, last played for the Dukes on Sunday against the Drexel Dragons. She went 4-for-4 in the game with three RBIs and two runs scored.
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She is survived by her parents Scott and Kim Bernett. She is also survived by her two sisters and two brothers.
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