Softball 5/1/2014 8:46:00 PM

SOFTBALL SWEPT BY HOKIES IN PAIR OF TIGHT BALL GAMES

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BLACKSBURG, Va. – Radford was swept in a pair of close ball games at Virginia Tech on Thursday evening at Tech Softball Park. The Hokies (34-20) edged the Highlanders (22-25), 2-1 and 4-2.

GAME 1 – Virginia Tech 2, Radford 1

Sophomore Rachael Walters put forth another strong effort against the Hokies, but a seventh inning rally fell a run short as the Highlanders were defeated 2-1.

Walters was the tough luck loser. She surrendered an earned run, scattered six hits, struck out four and walked two keeping the Highlanders within striking distance the entire game.

Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, junior Mackenzie Blackwell (pictured) crushed a solo home run to leftcenter putting RU on the board and within one run. An Ashleigh Harris single with one out and a hit by pitch put the tying and go-ahead run on base, but a comebacker to the pitcher ended the rally.

Tech's Kelly Heinz earned the complete game victory with nine strikeouts, three walks. She allowed three walks and hit two batters. Amanda Ake doubled, homered and scored both Hokie runs.

Tech pushed across an unearned run to grab a 1-0 lead in the second. Ake's leadoff home run doubled the Hokies' advantage to 2-0 in the fourth.

In the fourth and fifth, Radford had chances to get on the board, but stranded three runners in scoring position, including a one-out bases loaded threat in the fifth. The Highlanders first base runner of the game, Becky Mantel, was left at third after reaching there with one out.

An inning later, two walks and RU's first hit of the game by sophomore Casey Burns loaded the bases with one out. A force out at home and a three-pitch strikeout ended another golden opportunity.

GAME 2 – Virginia Tech 4, Radford 2

Radford took a 2-0 lead in the first, but Virginia Tech scored four in the bottom half of the inning and that ended up being the final in the nightcap with the Hokies sweeping the doubleheader.

Tech's Maggie Tyler struck out 13 and allowed three hits to earn the win in the circle. Katey Smith had the big hits, a three-run triple in the first.

Radford took advantage of an error and scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first. After Becky Mantel scored on a throwing error with one out, Burns dropped in an RBI single to left for an early 2-0 lead.

However, Tech scored four runs on five hits in the first, three coming on Smith's base clearing triple down the leftfield line.

After the first, freshman Abby Morrow settled down and did not allow another run and surrendered five hits over the final five innings. For the game, she scattered 10 hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter. The four earned runs are the most since she gave up four at Auburn (3/14), which was 21 appearances and 10 starts ago.

Senior Jessie Hutchens and Blackwell recorded Radford's other two hits.

Radford wraps up its regular season with a three-game Big South series at Longwood, May 4-5 in Farmville, Va. The Highlanders are sitting one-game back of the Lancers in the loss column as the teams are currently in second and third, respectively.

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