Box Score

CONWAY, S.C. – Behind Sarah Himan's 3-for-3 performance, Radford upended Gardner-Webb, 5-2 it its opening game of the Big South Tournament presented by Musco Sports Lighting, Thursday afternoon from CCU Softball Field on the campus of Coastal Carolina.

The Highlanders (34-15) will play the No. 3 Winthrop, a 4-3 winner in nine innings over No. 2 Liberty, tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Himan was a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. The Woodbridge, Va. native's two-run single in a three-run fourth broke a 2-2 deadlock.

Chelsea Kelley put in a strong performance in the circle. She matched a career-high with nine strikeouts. She allowed a pair of runs on six hits with one walk.

A two-out rally by the Highlanders pushed across the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. On back-to-back pitches, Himan doubled to left center and Shannon Keefe (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) knocked her in as she chopped the ball over the third baseman.

McKenzie Morenus' third inning two-out two-run home run gave Gardner-Webb a 2-1 lead.

Radford threatened in the bottom half of the inning, putting runners on second and third with one out, but a pop up and a strike out stranded the potential tying and go ahead runs.

The Highlanders used more two-out magic in the fourth and took a 4-2 lead. With Taylor Cunningham on first, Kristen Shifflett drew a two out walk.

Nichole Beall fisted the game-tying single to shallow left with Beall and Shifflett advancing to second and third. Himan stepped up and laced a two-run go-ahead single to left. It was her 16th and 17th two-out RBIs this season.

Shifflett added a run in the sixth with a solo long ball. It was her 12th of the season and 33rd of her career pushing her one ahead of Hope Creasy for the all-time lead.

Keefe was the other Highlander with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a RBI.