Softball 4/12/2014 6:24:00 PM

SOFTBALL RUNS STREAK TO EIGHT GAMES WITH SWEEP AT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

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CHARLESTON, S.C. – Radford extended its winning streak to eight games with a Big South doubleheader sweep over Charleston Southern on Saturday afternoon at CSU Softball Field. The Highlanders (17-19, 11-3 Big South) opened with an 11-2 victory and battled back for a 5-4 win over the Buccaneers (19-28-1, 5-10) in game two.

Senior Jessie Hutchens was 3-for-7 with a home run, four RBI and scored four times. Hutchens had a school-record streak of reaching base in 10 straight plate appearances snapped in her final at bat of game one. During that stretch, she was 8-for-8 with 4 HR, 14 RBI and seven runs. Sophomore Rachael Walters put in five strong shutout innings over the two games, earning the save in game two. She allowed three hits, struck out two and walked two.

G1 – Radford 11, Charleston Southern 2

Powered by an eight-run third, Radford scored 11 runs, 10 with two outs, in the first three innings and defeated Charleston Southern 11-2 in five innings. It marked the fifth straight double-figure scoring game for the Highlanders as well as their fifth consecutive run-rule victory.

Hutchens continued her hot streak, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored. It was her fourth straight game with a home run (5 overall), bringing her total to 13 on the season.

In the third, the Highlanders sent 11 batters to the plate, recorded four hits and took advantage of three Buccaneer errors. A two-run single by sophomore Nia Chiles and a three-run long ball by Hutchens highlighted the frame. Hutchens, who singled to leadoff the frame, recorded two hits and scored twice.

Freshman Kayla Bishton put the Highlanders on the board with a two-run, two-out double in the first. She finished 1-3 with 2 RBI. Chiles was also 1-for-3 with two RBI, extending her hitting streak to eight games. Freshman Summer Robinson and sophomore Whitney Davis both scored twice.

Junior Kelsey Weddle earned the win with two innings of no-hit shutout relief. Walters went the first two innings, allowed a hit, walk and struck out a batter.

G2 – Radford 5, CSU 4

Radford rallied from a pair of deficits and held off a seventh inning threat to complete the doubleheader sweep over Charleston Southern, 5-4.

Trailing 4-3 in the fifth, a two-run frame put the Highlanders back on top for good. Both runs came in with two outs. Aided by a failed pick off with two outs evened the ball game at 4-4. Davis doubled off the top of the wall in rightcenter knocking the game-winning run.

Walters, who came in to start the bottom of the fifth, picked up the three-inning save. She did not allow a run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk for her third save of the season. Freshman Abby Morrow (8-4) scattered five hits and allowed just one earned run to pick of the victory. She struck out three and did not walk a batter.

The Buccaneers took advantage of an error and scored two runs on a two-out, two-run single by Natalie Yonan for a 2-0 lead in the second.

Radford responded with a three-run three hit fourth, highlighted by sophomore Casey Burns' go-ahead two-run single with one out. Hutchens' put Radford on the board with a RBI single back up the middle and she would score the go-ahead run on Burns' base knock to left center.

CSU regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of a wild pitch on a 0-2 count to tie it and then going ahead, 4-3 on a passed ball (strike three).

Five different Highlanders recorded a hit with Burns knocking in two runs.

The teams will wrap up the series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

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