St. Joe's Box

Villanova Box

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Radford's pitching allowed just one run in two games as the Highlanders (4-5) defeated St. Joseph's, 9-0, and Villanova, 3-1, on day two Under Armour Invitational hosted by USF at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

With the two victories, head coach Mickey Dean reached the 200-win plateau in just his fifth season as a head coach, fourth with the Highlanders. Under Dean's guidance, the Highlanders have amassed 135 wins since the 2007 season. His first 65 victories came in 2001 when he guided Lake City Community College to a NJCC National Championship.

In game one, Heather Paquette (Mississauga, Ontario/Streetsville Secondary) tossed a one-hit shutout and Radford scored a season-high nine runs in a 9-0 five-inning victory against the Hawks.

Paquette (retired the first 13 batters of the game and took a perfect game into the fifth. However it was spoiled with a one-out single. The frosh struck out five in her first collegiate victory.

Sarah Himan (Woodbridge, Va./Hylton), Hope Creasy (Christiansburg, Va./Christiansburg), Kristen Shifflett and Michelle Beall (Culpeper, Va./Culpeper County) each had two hits for the Highlanders (3-5).

Himan knocked in four with a grand slam. Shifflett had a double and three RBI.

The Highlanders opened the scoring in the third on a two-run double by Shifflett and she would score the third run on an error.

Radford exploded for six runs in the sixth. After back-to-back RBI singles by junior Lauren Williams (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge), Himan launched her first home run of the season, a grand slam to close out the scoring.

In game two, junior Chelsea Kelley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) earned the complete game victory. Allowing just a second inning run, Kelley (3-1) scattered seven hits and struck out four.

At the plate, junior Shannon Keefe (Lemont Township, Ill./Lemont) was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a RBI.

After falling behind 1-0 in the second, Radford tied the game in the top of the third on a RBI single by Shifflett, plating Beall from second.

Radford took the lead for good in the fourth. Pinch running for Himan, freshman Morgan Eye (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) stole second and scored on an error by the center fielder.

Keefe gave Radford a two-run cushion in the sixth with a RBI double to left.

The Highlanders conclude play at the Showcase, tomorrow, March 7 at 1:30 p.m. against Central Michigan.