SOFTBALL SET TO HOST LONGWOOD IN KEY MID-WEEK BIG SOUTH DOUBLEHEADER

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

Following a series win at Coastal Carolina, Radford returns home for a crucial mid-week Big South doubleheader against in-state foe Longwood on Wednesday (4:00 p.m.). The Highlanders (14-20, 7-3 Big South) sit in third place, two games in the loss column ahead of the Lancers (27-11, 9-5), who are coming off a home loss on Monday against Liberty.

Entering Wednesday's contests, first through fifth place in the Big South is separated by two games in the loss column.

LAST TIME OUT: The Highlanders took two of three to claim a key Big South road series from the Chanticleers, who entered the weekend in first place… Radford won the opener, 4-1 and the series finale, 4-2… RU dropped game two, 5-1… In the opener, Radford hit three home runs (Jessie Hutchens, Becky Mantel, Emily Naegele) and received a five-hit complete game (5 K, 1 BB) outing from freshman Rachael Walters… The Highlanders jumped out to a 4-0 lead behind and four-run second and held off Coastal Carolina down the stretch.

RU TIDBITS: With the game one victory over the Chanticleers, head coach Maggie Johnson won her 100^th career game… Radford is in third place, mere percentage points behind Coastal Carolina, and two games up in the loss column on Longwood… Walters and Naegele swept the Big South weekly awards after their performances last week against Liberty and Coastal Carolina… Walters was 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA in three road contests, while Naegele batted .429 with a double, triple, two home runs and zero strikeouts… With two series wins last week, Radford has won 31 of its last 32… Mantel was hit four times, three in the series finale versus Coastal, over the weekend and 12 times for the season, which is one shy of the single season mark held by Kristen Shifflett… Naegele has reached base safely in her last seven contests (.474 / 2 doubles / triple / 2 home runs / 6 runs / 545 OBP)… Mantel had her 10-game hitting streak (14-31 / .452 / 12 runs / 2 doubles / 2 home runs) snapped on Saturday in game two at Coastal… Former high school teammates Hutchens and Mantel have homered in the same game three times this season.

LEAGUE RANKINGS (Overall): Radford – stolen bases (45 / 4th), ERA (4.23 / 5^th), batting (.266 / 6th), double plays (15 / 1^st)… Hutchens – doubles (12 / t-1^st)… Morgan Eye – stolen bases (3^rd / 14)… Mantel – OBP (.488 / 5th), walks (17 / t-8th)… Walters - wins (10 / 6th), ERA (3.12 / 7th).

LEAGUE RANKINGS (Conference): Radford - batting (.312 / 2nd), slugging (.543 / 2nd), OBP (.378 / t-2nd), ERA (3.02 / 3rd)… Naegele - batting (.429 / t-6th), OBP (.500 / t-9^th), slugging (.786 / 10^th)… Ryndee Ruch - batting (.407 / 10th), doubles (4 / t-4th… Walters - wins (6 / t-2nd), ERA (1.38 / 2nd) opponent's average (.229 / 2nd)… Hutchens doubles (4 / t-4th), RBI (13 / t-7th), strikeouts (24 / 7^th).

THE LANCERS: Longwood had its eight-game winning streak snapped on Monday, falling at home to Liberty, 8-7… The Lancers are in fourth place, a game up in the win column over Winthrop… LU is the top offensive team (.336 BA, 332 hits, 282 runs, 47 HR, 139 fewest strikeouts) in the league as seven players bat over .300, including a pair above the .400 clip… Kori Nishitomi tops the averages, batting .469 with a team-best 60 hits, 11 doubles and 14 stolen bases… Megan Baltzell bats .429 with a team-best 17 HR, 49 RBI, .539 OBP and .991 slugging pct, along with 51 runs and 10 doubles… Brooke Short (.394) has 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 45 RBI, while Emily Murphy matches Baltzell with 49 RBI to go along with eight home runs and a team-high 28 walks… Short is also 14-5 with a 2.47 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 116 innings, while Libby Morris is 12-5 with a 3.15 ERA and 54 punchouts in 89 innings.

THE SERIES: These will be games 27 and 28 in a series that Radford leads 17-9… The Lancers won the first matchup of the season, 8-4, in Farmville on March 27… They broke open a tight ball game with a four-run-sixth… The Highlanders are 9-2 versus the Lancers at home… The teams split in 2011 with Radford taking the nightcap, 3-1 after Longwood won game one, 12-9.

UP NEXT: Radford heads back out on the road this weekend for its Big South series against Presbyterian on Saturday (DH) and Sunday… First pitch on both days in set for 1:00 p.m.

Print Friendly Version