SOFTBALL SWEPT BY CAMPBELL IN TWO ONE-RUN AFFAIRS

BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 RADFORD, Va. – For the second straight doubleheader, Radford dropped a pair of one-run contests as it was defeated by first-place Campbell on Saturday afternoon from RU Softball Field. The Highlanders (16-27, 9-8 Big South) were edged 9-8 in 11 innings and 4-3 by the Camels (32-16, 16-4).

Campbell rallied from a 4-0 first inning deficit to defeat Radford, 9-8, in a wild 11-inning opener.
This marked the second longest game in program history for the Highlanders and most innings played since a 12-inning 10-9 win over Winthrop at home on March 26, 2000.

The Camels sent the game into extras in the seventh on two-run home run by Camise Patterson. After Campbell took its first lead in the 10^th, freshman Emily Naegele tied it with a two-run long ball of her own. However, the Camels outscored the Highlanders 2-1 in the 11^th to secure the victory.

"I one-run ball games, it's going to come down to who makes fewer mistake and better adjustments," stated head coach Maggie Johnson. "I'm proud of the way we battled, but our challenge continues to be maintaining focus and attack every pitch, every inning and every game."

Senior Jessica Agee was 2-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored. Senior Ryndee Ruch also went 2-for-5 with a double, RBI and run scored.

Raven Lee, Brittany Bruce and Olivia Scarborough each recorded two hits for the Camels. Lee, Bruce and Patterson knocked in two apiece. Patterson also scored twice.

Radford jumped on Campbell for four runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two-run long ball by junior Jessie Hutchens. Freshman Casey Burns doubled off the leftfield wall with one out and Hutchens followed with a rocket over the centerfield fence. After senior Morgan Eye drew a two-out walk, Ruch roped a double to left, scoring Eye. Ruch also scored on the play when the relay throw home took a wild bounce off the backstop.

A leadoff home run by Sarah Forgacs put the Camels on the board and cut Radford's lead to 4-1 in the second.

Bruce made it a one-run ball game, 4-3, with a two-out, two run home run it the fifth. A single by Maggie Christopher kept the inning alive and Bruce lined the next pitch over the rightfield fence.

Agee extended Radford's lead to 5-3 in the sixth. Her moonshot down the leftfield line stayed just fair for her third round tripper of the season.

It proved to be important because a two-run home run by Campbell off the bat of Patterson evened the score at 5-5 in the seventh.

After the Camels took their first lead of the game, 7-5, in the 10^th, on a two-run bases loaded single by Lee, Naegele sent the game to the 11^th with her eight long ball of the season.

However, a two-out RBI single just inside the third base line by Sarah Jones and a throwing error on the next play allowed Campbell to regain the lead, 9-7.

A pair of groundouts led to the Radford's run in the bottom half, but a strikeout by Brittany Arnn ended the comeback bid.

Arnn picked up the win in 1.1 innings of relief. She struck out two and allowed just the run in the 11^th. Courtney Roberts started and went 9.2 innings, allowing seven runs, six earned, on nine hits with 11 strikeouts and three walks.

Freshman Rachael Walters suffered the defeat. She went the distance and allowed just five earned runs on 11 hits. She struck out a career-high 11 and walked two, one intentional. The 11 innings pitched by Walters was the second most in school history, one behind Deana Benner, who tossed 12 in that 2000 contest against Winthrop.

Campbell scored two runs in the fourth and held on for a 4-3 win over Radford to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Trailing 3-2, a RBI double by Patterson tied it and Jones knocked in the game-winning run with a two-out single in the fourth.

Julia Callicutt went the distance allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Senior Jackie Jenkins suffered the defeat as she allowed two earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.

Agee recorded two more hits, including her second long ball of the day and fourth of the season. Naegele also homered and walked twice.

The Camels took advantage of two errors to take a 1-0 lead in the first.

Radford responded when Naegele hit her second of the day and ninth of the season to lead off the bottom of the first.

Agee put the Highlanders on top, 2-1 with a leadoff home run in the second.

Lee's two-out RBI single for the Camels evened the score once again in the top of the third at 2-2. The run was unearned as an error with one out allowed Nesbitt, who scored on the single, to reach.

A two-out RBI single by Eye allowed Radford to regain the lead in the bottom half of the frame.

The lead was short-lived as a RBI double by Patterson tied the contest at 3-3 and with two outs Jones lined a single to right for the eventual game-winner.

Radford had a golden opportunity in the seventh as Ruch led off with a double and Burns singled to left, but a perfect throw by defensive replacement Kailey Farmer nailed Ruch at the plate trying to score the tying run. A strikeout and fielder's choice ended the contest.

The series wraps up tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

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