Softball 3/17/2012 7:41:00 PM

SOFTBALL TAKES TWO IN HOME DEBUT AT RU INVITATIONAL

Lehigh Box | Binghamton Box

RADFORD, Va. – Jackie Jenkins tossed a five-hit complete game shutout against Lehigh and Radford held off a seventh-inning rally by Binghamton to sweep two games on day one of Radford Invitational. The Highlanders (10-8) topped the Mountain Hawks (8-10), 3-0 and edged the Bearcats (7-9), 6-5 in their 2012 home debut at RU Softball Field.

Along with Jenkins, Micalah Sacre was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI as Radford blanked Lehigh in its first home game this season.

Jenkins struck out three and didn't walk a batter as she recorded her first shutout of the season. After getting out of a jam in the first (2 hits), she allowed just three base knocks the rest of the game. Sacre registered a double and her first collegiate triple, and drove in Radford's first and third runs.

Ojeda and Ryndee Ruch each recorded two Radford's nine hits. Ojeda scored a pair of runs and Ruch swiped two bases.

The Highlanders struck for two in the third on a RBI double to right center by Sacre and a run-scoring single by Jessie Hutchens. Ojeda led off with a single moved to second on a passed ball. Following the a strikeout, Sacre roped a double to the fence that put Radford on the board. With two outs and Sacre on third, Hutchens laced a single to left for a 2-0 lead.

A two-out RBI single to center by Sacre scored Ojeda from second, giving Radford a 3-0 cushion. The run was unearned as Ojeda reached on an error with one out and moved into scoring position with the Highlanders' fourth steal of the game.

Morgan Eye was 2-for-3 with a RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases and Radford held off a seventh-inning rally to edge Binghamton and earn a day one sweep, 6-5 in the night cap.

Eye's double, second theft and run in the sixth proved to be very important as the Bearcats plated three runs in the top half of the seventh to cut the Highlanders' lead to one, but Stephanie Dameron regrouped after the long ball and froze the final batter for her fourth and final strikeout to end the game.

Dameron improved to 3-0 with six-innings of relief work. She allowed four runs on six hits and walked three. Sacre started and lasted one-plus. She surrendered a run on one hit, with one walk and one punchout.

Radford and Binghamton were tied at two after a combined three home runs in the first 2 ½ frames. BU's Jessica Phillips' and Meghan Tucker's solo home runs in the first and third were sandwiched around Michelle Beall's two-run HR in the bottom of the second.

Beall got a lucky bounce on her second long ball of the season as the high liner hit the top of the fence and bounced over, giving Radford a brief 2-1 advantage.

The Highlanders broke the 2-all deadlock with a three-run fourth, which included RBI singles by Eye and Nichole Beall.

In the sixth, Eye lined a one-out double off the fence in center, stole third and scored an insurance run to make it 6-2 when the throw went into leftfield.

Nichole Beall and Ruch also recorded two hits with a double. Beall added two RBI and Ruch two more stolen bases.

Ruch and Sacre each recorded four hits and reached base five times in the two contests. Ruch added three stolen bases.

The three squads will wrap up the two-day invite with three games starting at 10:00 am on Sunday. The Highlanders will face Binghamton at approximately noon and Lehigh at 2 p.m.

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