Softball 4/8/2014 8:13:00 PM

28-RUN, 25-HIT ATTACK HIGHLIGHTS TWINBILL SWEEP OF LIBERTY

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RADFORD, Va. – Radford combined for 28 runs on 25 hits (6 home runs) in a Big South doubleheader sweep of Liberty on Tuesday at RU Softball Stadium. The Highlanders (14-19, 8-3 Big South) won both games in five innings by the scores of 12-0 and 16-5, respectively.

Senior Jessie Hutchens, junior Mackenzie Blackwell (pictured) and sophomore Becky Mantel each hit two home runs. Mantel was 4-for-5 with four RBI and six runs scored. Hutchens (3-6) knocked in eight, matching a school record with six in game two. Blackwell (2-4) hit her first two collegiate long balls, recorded five RBI and scored three times.

Radford scored double figures in three straight games (39 runs) for the first time in program history and recorded four straight shutouts since 2011.

Game 1 – Radford 12, Liberty 0 (5)

Powered by a season-high 14 hits and four home runs, Radford cruised to a 12-0 win in the opener. Three of the long balls came in a 7-run third when the Highlanders broke open the ball game. It was the first time RU sent three balls over the fence in one inning since May 11, 2006 at home against Charleston Southern in the Big South Tournament.

Eight of nine starters recorded a hit led by Mantel's 3-for-4 performance with two home runs, 3 RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Whitney Davis, sophomore Casey Burns and freshman Kayla Bishton each registered two hits. Blackwell and senior Hutchens added home runs, while Davis roped a pair of doubles and scored twice.

Sophomore Rachael Walters continued from where she left off this weekend with four innings of one-hit ball. She was perfect through three innings, struck out four and did not walk a batter and has allowed three hits over her last three starts (15.1 IP).

In the seven-run third, Radford recorded seven hits, three home runs and sent 12 batters to the plate. Mantel's second round tripper of the game was a solo shot with one out and started a succession of nine straight batters reaching base.

Two batters later, Hutchens hit a high two-run home run that just stayed fair down the leftfield line. Blackwell stepped up with two runners on and blasted her first collegiate home run to right centerfield.

Mantel didn't take long as she sent the second pitch in the bottom of the first deep over the leftfield fence.

Game 2: Radford 16, Liberty 5 (5)

Radford's bats continued to stay hot as they scored in all four innings to post a season-high 16 runs and complete the doubleheader sweep with a 16-5 win in the night cap. Hutchens matched a school record with six RBI, including a grand slam in the fourth inning.

She is the second Highlander to do so in three games (Davis on Sunday) and fifth overall. Hutchens finished 2-for-3 and scored a run. Freshman Summer Robinson capped off a great day with a 2-for-2 (2 runs, 1 RBI) performance in game two and finishing 4-for-5.

Hutchens now has 10 home runs, matching her total from a season ago. She also moved her into a three-way tie for sixth on the all-time charts with 25.

Freshman Abby Morrow put in another strong performance to improve to 6-4. In four innings, she did not allow and earned run and surrendered just one hit with seven strikeouts and one walk.

The first inning was marred with four errors as Radford came out with a 4-2 lead as just two of the six runs were earned.

Following two more unearned runs in the second, Blackwell led off the third with a home run and Hutchens added two more runs with a two-run single left for a 9-2 advantage.

As they did in game one, Radford exploded for a seven-run inning (4^th), highlighted by Hutchens' two-out grand slam.

Davis added a 2-for-4 performance with two runs and a RBI, while Blackwell knocked in two runs. Mantel, who was hit twice, scored a career-best four run and also became the program's leader in hit by pitchers (38) and is just two shy of her single-season mark she obtained last year.

Davis, sophomore Nia Chiles and Bishton extended their career-best hitting streaks to eight, six and five games, respectively.

The teams close out the series at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.

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