BOX SCORE

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Nichole Beall ripped an RBI single during an intentional walk in the top of the ninth as Radford defeated Charleston Southern, 3-2, in the regular season finale from Buccaneer Field, Sunday afternoon.

With runners on second and third and two outs the Buccaneers (24-31, 10-8 Big South) decided to intentionally walk Beall. However, ball four was too close to the plate and she raked the low pitch back up the middle for the game-winning hit.

Beall was 3-for-4 for the Highlanders (35-19, 14-4) with a double, two RBI and a run scored. She also set a new single-season walks record (28) when an intentional pass was awarded to her in the fifth inning. Lara Wohlgemuth (2000, 2002-04) set the previous mark with 27 in 2004.

Radford, who had already clinched the regular season last week, earned its third consecutive regular season title and will be the top seed at next week's Big South Tournament.

In the decisive ninth, Vicki Madden led off with a double to right center. Following a pitching change and strikeout, Lauren Williams singled off the pitcher's glove putting runners at the corners and moved to second on a ground out to up Beall's heroics.

In the bottom half of the frame, Stephanie Sbardella singled with one out and Radford went to Chelsea Kelley to face a pair of lefties. She shut the door on CSU, recording the final two outs and earning the save.

Stephanie Dameron put in another strong performance as she improved to 15-5. In 8.1 innings, she allowed an earned run on seven hits. The righty struck out one and walked two, one intentional.

A little two-out magic produced Radford's first run of the series and gave it a 1-0 lead in the third. Kristen Shifflett singled with two outs and scored on Beall's RBI double just inside the third base bag.

CSU tied it in the fifth on a sac fly by Melissa Adams.

The teams traded runs in the eighth. Shannon Keefe gave Radford's its second lead of the game on a RBI single, scoring Beall from second.

A two-out bases load single by Jana Matthews tied the game, but the runner trying score from second was gunned out at the plate on a strong throw by Williams in leftfield sending it to the ninth.

Keefe, Shifflett and Michelle Beall all registered two hits in an 11-hit attack.

Kimberly Hobbs (13-13) suffered the defeat in eight-plus inning of work. She surrendered three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Morgan Dowdy, who entered in the ninth, allowed two hits and recorded on punch out.

Up next for Radford will be the 2011 Big South Tournament hosted by Winthrop, May 12-14 at Terry Field. The two-time defending champions will play Thursday at 8 p.m. against the winner of the contest between Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina.