Softball 5/3/2013 11:26:00 AM

THINK PINK AND SENIOR DAY ON TAP FOR REGULAR SEASON FINALE AGAINST WINTHROP

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Seeding implications will be on the line as Radford closes out the regular season at home this weekend hosting Winthrop on Saturday (DH/2:00 pm.) and Sunday (1:00 p.m.). The Highlanders currently sit in fifth place two games behind the Eagles in the Big South standings.

In addition, Saturday will be Breast Cancer Awareness games and Sunday is Senior Day. Show your support by wearing pink to Saturday's doubleheader and join us in recognizing the class of 2013; Jessica Agee, Morgan Eye, Jackie Jenkins and Ryndee Ruch prior to the series finale.

A sweep by Radford would move it to fourth and it would face Winthrop at the Big South Tournament next weekend in Rock Hill, S.C. The Eagles still have an opportunity to finish third with a sweep and a sweep by Campbell over Longwood, which would move them up a spot. In that scenario, the Highlanders would face the Lancers in the first round.

LAST TIME OUT: The Highlanders dropped their final non-conference contests of the season, falling at Appalachian State, 2-1 and 11-3 (6)… In the opener, Radford carried a 1-0 lead into the sixth, but a leadoff home run tied it and an inning later a pair of hits and an error with one out allowed the winning run to score… Junior Jessie Hutchens hit her team-leading 10^th home run in the first inning for RU only offense of the game… Game two saw the Mountaineers jump on top 5-0 in the first and not look back… The Highlanders were held to four hits, but had their opportunities as they drew a season-high seven walks only to see nine runners stranded.

RU TIDBITS: On Wednesday, freshman Megan Honaker recorded a hit in each contest and extended her hitting streak to six games (8-18)… Her streak started when she was inserted into the starting lineup at Virginia Tech (4/24)… Freshman Becky Mantel has reached base safely in 41 contests… Mantel leads team in average, runs, hits, walks and on base percentage… RU has hit a home run in 12 of its 14 home games this season… The Highlanders 40 long balls are tied for the sixth best season total, two shy of fifth… RU's 128 walks rank fourth in program annals… The Highlanders snapped a nine-game losing streak on Saturday at Gardner-Webb, the longest since 2003… Mantel's 25 free passes are a freshman record and she is tied for sixth in a single season… Radford is 35-7 in Big South series since they were instituted in 2007… Freshman Emily Naegele connected on her ninth home run of the season at Gardner-Webb, two shy of the rookie record set by Vicki Madden in 2008.

THE EAGLES: Winthrop sits two games ahead of Radford and are coming off a non-conference split at Charlotte on Wednesday, winning the first game, 10-3 before dropping the nightcap, 7-1… The Eagles did sweep their last conference series taking all three from Liberty at home… Mackenzie Corn bats. 400 with a team-best 58 hits, 38 runs and 14 doubles, along with 21 RBI… Chelsea Schoenfeldt has launched a team-high 14 home runs and registered a team-best 52 RBI, while batting .348 and scoring 32 runs… Kathryn Eberlin (9 HR, 37 RBI), Kristy Noble (9 HR, 32 RBI, 33 runs) and Alex White (8 HR, 6 2B, 22 RBI) add punch at the plate… Sutton Watson (15-12, 3.11 ERA) has seen the majority of the time in the circle with 127 strikeouts in 162 innings of work… Three other pitchers have logged 48-plus innings and 15 or more appearances.

THE SERIES: Radford has won the last 10 meetings dating back to 2009 and holds a 35-29 edged in the series… During the 10-game streak, the Highlanders have outscored the Eagles, 66-6, and recorded seven shutouts… RU has shut out Winthrop the last three games and six of the last seven outscoring the Eagles, 48-1… Winthrop's last victory, was a 11-8 triumph on April 18, 2009 in game two of a doubleheader at RU Softball Field… The Highlanders have won five straight at home and seven of the last eight meetings.

UP NEXT: Radford will head down to Rock Hill, S.C. and Winthrop's Terry Field for the 2013 Big South Softball Championship presented by Musco Sports Lighting from May 11-14. Radford will either be the fourth or fifth seed and play at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 11.

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