TOP-SEEDED HIGHLANDERS TOP WINTHROP IN BIG SOUTH OPENER, 8-0

BOX SCORE
Box Score

RADFORD, Va. – Jackie Jenkins tossed a three-hit shutout as top-seeded and host Radford scored eight two-out runs as it defeated No. 8 Winthrop, 8-0 in five innings in the Highlanders' opener of the 2012 Big South Softball Championship presented by Musco Sports Lighting and Brookwood Farms Barbeque Thursday afternoon at RU Softball Field.

The Highlanders (33-19) advance to Friday and will face No. 5 Gardner-Webb, a 4-2 winner in the tournament opener, at 11:30 am.

Jenkins (16-8) struck out two and did not walk a batter as she recorded her fifth shutout of the season. At the plate, junior Morgan Eye recorded two hits with a run and RBI for the Highlanders.

Megan Chapman was 2-for-3 with a double for the Eagles. Natalie Becker (10-15) suffered the defeat as she was unable to get out of the first frame in which she allowed four runs on two hits with two free passes and one strikeout in .2 innings.

The Highlanders jumped on top with a four-run first, highlighted by a Jessie Hutchens three-run home run to right center. It followed Michelle Beall's RBI single that put Radford on the board.

Radford added three more two-out runs in the third, the first on a RBI single by Eye. After an intentional walk to senior Nichole Beall, consecutive hit batsmen pushed its lead to 7-0.

After Winthrop stranded runners at second and third, senior Vicki Madden dumped a two-out run-scoring single just off a diving second baseman's glove to plate Nichole Beall with the final run.

Nichole and Michelle Beall each recorded a hit and scored two runs, while Michelle also knocked in one. Kathryn Eberlin recorded Winthrop's other hit.

Radford Head Coach Mickey Dean: “We came out very business like today and kept a good rhythm throughout the contest. We were aggressive with the bats and on the bases and Jackie (Jenkins) got ahead for the most part which made for some quick defensive innings.”

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