SOFTBALL SPLITS WITH FIRST-PLACE COASTAL CAROLINA

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RADFORD, Va. – Behind a two-hitter from sophomore Rachael Walters and three home runs, Radford earned a split with first-place Coastal Carolina in Big South action on Tuesday afternoon at RU Softball Stadium. In the opener, the Chanticleers (34-14, 16-4 Big South) edged the Highlanders (20-21, 12-5) in eight innings, 6-5.

G2 – Radford 4, Coastal Carolina 1

Radford hit three home runs and Walters tossed a complete game two-hitter as Radford earned a a 4-1 victory over Coastal Carolina in the night cap.

Walters was on point in game two, striking out a season-high eight batters, not allowing an earned run and walking one. Improving to 10-9, she struck out a batter in five of seven innings, including two in the two in the second and seventh frames.

The Highlanders grabbed a 2-0 lead when freshman Summer Robinson smacked a two-run long ball for RU's first hit of the game.

In the fourth, solo shots from sophomore Whitney Davis and freshman Kayla Bishton doubled the Highlanders' advantage to 4-0.

Bishton was 2-for-3 in the second game and 3-for-6 with a triple, home run and three RBI in the twinbill.

Ashley Bagwell suffered the loss as she went the distance with 10 strikeouts. She allowed five hits and walked one. Quolas had two more hits in the nightcap and finished with five in the two games.

G1 – Coastal Carolina 6, Radford 5 (8)

Maicie Hahn's leadoff home run in the top of the eighth lifted Coastal Carolina to a 6-5 win over Radford in the opener. It marked the first defeat at home in nine games for Radford and snapped an 11-game home winning streak.

Senior Jessie Hutchens homered in the first inning becoming the sixth player in program history to reach 30 collegiate longballs, tying her with Ashley Taylor (2005-08) for fifth. She also tied for the third most home runs in a single season (15), which is tied for second in the Big South.

The first 10 runs were scored in the first 3.5 innings. With Radford erasing a pair of one-run deficits before taking a 5-2 lead with a four-run third.

Radford forged ahead thanks to its, four-run, two-out rally. Davis started the rally with a RBI single back up the middle. On the next pitch, sophomore Casey Burns roped a run-scoring double down the leftfield line, plating Hutchens with the go-ahead run. Bishton tacked on two more with a two-run triple to left.

The lead did not last long as Coastal Carolina pushed across three, the first two on RBI singles from Bri Chiusano and Quolas.

Both squads had chances to go ahead, but some big pitches got Quolas and RU freshman Abby Morrow out of some dicey situations before Hahn's long ball.

Quolas (22-5) picked up the complete game win. She scattered eight hits, struck out nine and walked one. Morrow, who entered in the fourth, surrendered just the run on four hits in 4.2 innings for her first conference loss of the year.

The teams traded runs in the first inning. Coastal took the lead on a RBI single by Amanda Daneker. Hutchens launched her 15^th home run of the season to even the contest.

A leadoff double by Quolas, followed by a pair of groundouts put the Chanticleers back on top, 2-1, in the third.

Davis was 3-for-4 with a RBI and run scored. In addition, sophomore Nia Chiles was 2-for-4. Hutchens scored a pair, Bishton added two RBI.

Quolas was 3-for-4, while Coastal's 7-8-9 batters each recorded two hits and combined for three runs.

The teams meet for the rubber game at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.

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