SOFTBALL RALLIES PAST CHARLOTTE IN SEASON OPENER

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Behind a solid bullpen effort and key hits from freshman Julie Gardner and sophomore Hayley Tabora, Radford Softball rallied past Charlotte, 6-5, to win its season opener on Wednesday evening at the D.L. Philips Complex.

After falling behind 4-1 in the first, Radford evened the game in the third on a three-run double by Tabora and went ahead for good on Gardner's first collegiate home run in the fourth.

Gardner also doubled in her first collegiate at bat and finished the contest, 2-for-3 with a RBI and run scored. Senior Jessie Hutchens also recorded two hits with a RBI and run scored as Radford won its first season opener since 2008.

The bullpen, consisting of sophomore Rachael Walters, junior Kelsey Weddle and freshman Abby Morrow, scattered five hits and surrendered just an unearned run over the final five innings.

Walters earned the win with two hitless innings. She struck out two and walked one. Weddle scattered three hits and struck out three, including the first batter she faced in a Highlander uniform. Morrow allowed an unearned run, but still picked up the save in her collegiate debut.

Radford got off to a great start in the top of the first as sophomores Becky Mantel and Megan Honaker were on second and third following just three pitches. Mantel was hit on the first pitch of the game and Honaker followed with a double down the rightfield line for her first collegiate extra base hit. However, the Highlanders did not score until Honaker crossed the dish on a perfectly executed first and third play.

The lead didn't last long as Samantha Slade homered with one out to even the score and then the 49ers pushed across three two-out runs, two on a bloop single by Hayley Lewis and the final on a wild pitch.

With the bases full, Tabora knotted the game a 4-4 with a one-out base clearing double to the fence in center. Mantel and Hutchens singled and sophomore Casey Burns walked to set up Tabora's game-tying hit.

In her second collegiate at bat, Gardner led the fourth off with a mammoth long ball to leftfield. Hutchens provided the Highlanders with a much-needed insurance run in the seventh, lacing a RBI single to center that scored Mantel.

The 49ers pushed across an unearned two-out run when Jackie Kleinsmith blooped a run-scoring single into no man's land just inside rightfield foul line. Morrow did not let it get to her as she induced a grounder to short that ended the game.

Mantel finished with two runs scored and was plunked after getting hit a program-record 20 times last season. She is now in third all alone on the career charts. Hutchens and freshman Augusta Clarke each recorded a stolen base. Senior Stephanie Dameron started in the circle, allowing four runs on four hits with a walk and strikeout in two innings of work.

Radford continues south for the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. this weekend. The Highlanders open with Middle Tennessee at 11:00 a.m. and Austin Peay at 4:00 p.m.

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