STATESBORO, Ga. – Sophomore Chelsea Kelley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) allowed a run on two hits helping Radford defeat Belmont, 6-1 and split on day one of the Eagle Classic hosted by Georgia Southern.

Radford (1-1), playing in its first two games of the 2009 season, dropped its opener ending up on the opposite end of a 6-1 decision against Mercer.

Mercer Box

Belmont Box

Kelley (1-0), making her first collegiate start, struck out five and walked five in five innings. A fourth inning home run was the only damage against her. The Bruins put a runner on second base three times, but she got out of those jams with a strikeout, double play and pop up.

Sophomore Kellie Snooks (Alsip, Ill./Marist) was solid in her second straight relief effort, shutting down the Bruins on one hit. She finished the day allowing no runs in 3.2 innings of work.

The Highlanders jumped on top of the Bruins in the top of the first, 2-0 on a sacrifice fly by junior Hope Creasy (Christiansburg, Va./Christiansburg) and an RBI double by freshman Nichole Beall. It was the first collegiate hit and RBI for the third baseman.

Sophomore Kristen Shifflett (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) and freshman Meredith Moore (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) hit solo home runs in the third and six innings and sophomore Lauren Williams (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) executed a squeeze to account for three of Radford other four runs.

The long ball for Moore was her first collegiate hit and Williams knocked in her first collegiate run with the bunt.

Snooks entered in the sixth and struck out three, including the final two of the game after Belmont's leadoff batter reached third with one out.

Shifflett scored two runs and junior Sarah Himan (Woodbridge, Va./Hylton) had two hits, including a double for the Highlanders. On the base paths, sophomore Shannon Keefe (Lemont Township, Ill/Lemont) recorded two of Radford's five stolen bases.

In game one, Creasy put Radford on top 1-0 with a leadoff solo blast in the second inning, but Mercer hit two home runs and took advantage of four Radford errors to defeat the Highlanders, 6-1.

After Creasy gave Radford the early 1-0 lead, it had a chance to add to its lead in the top of the third putting runners on second and third with one out. Lacey Richardson came into the game for the Bears, inducing a groundout to third and then striking out the next batter to stymie Radford's threat.

In the bottom half of the inning, Mercer scored three runs on just one hit. Three Highlander miscues helped the cause. The Bears added three more in the fifth on a pair of round trippers.

Richardson earned the win for the Bears with 4.2 innings of shutout relief, allowing no hits and striking out seven.

The Highlanders managed just two hits, the second one, a double by sophomore Taylor Cunningham (Fairfax, Va./Robinson Secondary) in the third inning.

Sophomore Rebecca Whalley (Maryborough, Australia/St. Peters Lutheran College) suffered the loss in the circle for the Highlanders, allowing four earned runs on four hits in 5.1 innings. She struck out one and walked two.

Radford hit the field tomorrow, Feb. 21 for two more games against Oakland and Georgia Southern at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. The contest against the host Eagles pit the Highlanders against for Radford assistant coach Maggie Johnson.