SOFTBALL OPENS WITH PRESBYTERIAN AT BIG SOUTH SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Tournament Central | Big South Network (Thursday & Friday Only)

Coming off a third-place finish in the regular season, Radford prepares for the 2014 Big South Softball Championships hosted by Coastal Carolina, May 8-11, at CCU Softball Field. The Highlanders battle sixth-seeded Presbyterian on Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the final game on the tournament's opening day.

The winner of this contest will play the winner of the matchup between No. 2 Longwood and No. 7 Charleston Southern at 4:30 p.m., while the loser will play one of those programs in an elimination game at 11:30 a.m. Both games are to be played on May 9.

The first two days will be streamed on the Big South Network. Saturday's semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Sunday's Championship game carried live on ESPNU.

Postseason Accolades – Five Highlanders earned Big South postseason accolades on May 6… Senior Jessie Hutchens garnered first team honors at the utility spot… Sophomore Whitney Davis (3B) and Becky Mantel (OF) were named to the second team… Abby Morrow was selected to the all-freshman team… Sophomore Casey Burns earned all-academic recognition.

Tournament Tidbits – Radford enters as the tournament's three seed for the fourth time, the first since 2007… In 2007, the Highlanders won four straight elimination games before falling in the "if necessary" title game to Winthrop… This is RU's 22^nd tournament, posting a 30-37 all-time record… RU is 9-3 in tournament games at Coastal Carolina… This is the first postseason meeting against Presbyterian… RU won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 with the latter coming at CCU Softball Field… Reached five tournament championship games (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011).

Last Time Out – Radford was swept in its final Big South series at Longwood last weekend and have dropped five straight... The Highlanders' pitchers held the league's top offensive unit at bay for the majority of the series, but could not provide any offensive support (2 runs & 5 hits in 21 innings)... Sophomore Rachael Walters allowed 3 earned runs in two complete games, but came up on the short end of the stick in 2-1 and 3-1 defeats... Sophomore Becky Mantel hit her career-best ninth home run in the opener.

Highlander Bites – Swept Presbyterian in season series (6-0, 6-0, 11-0), which was the first three games at the newly renovated RU Softball Stadium (April 5-6)… Second in the league with 54 home runs, hitting over half of them (31) the last 23 games… Jessie Hutchens ranks second in program history with 17 home runs and 48 RBI; she needs one long ball to tie Nichole Beall's mark and two RBI to become second Highlander to produce 50 RBI in one season… Hutchens is also tied for third on the all-time round tripper chart with 32… Becky Mantel leads the NCAA in getting plunked (35) and owns the program's single-season and career marks (55).

2014 vs. PC – Radford opened up its newly renovated stadium on April 5-6, sweeping Presbyterian, by a combined 23-0 score (6-0, 6-0 and 11-0)… RU's pitching staff held the Blue Hose to just five hits in 19 innings, while the offense recorded 24 hits and hit six home runs for the second straight league series… The Highlanders started with a pair of 6-0 shutouts on Saturday… In the opener, freshman Abby Morrow tossed six innings of 3-hit, 9-strikeout ball without a walk and RU hit three home runs… In the nightcap, sophomore Rachael Walters tossed a one-hit gem and RU hit two more home runs… Walters retired the side in six innings and only two batters reached base all game for her first collegiate shutout… Overall, sophomore Becky Mantel (2 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R) and freshman Kayla Bishton (HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) each went 4-for-6 in the twinbill… In finale, RU scored a season-high 11 runs, sophomore Whitney Davis hit a grand slam and matched a single-game record with six RBI and Walters allowed one hit over 4.1 innings.

The Blue Hose – Presbyterian finished sixth in the standings with a 10-13 overall mark… PC dropped its final league series of the season to Liberty… Hope Rogers was named to the Big South's second team and all-freshman squad… Jill McLean earned honorable mention all-conference honors… McLean led the Blue Hose offense batting .351 with 53 hits, 4 doubles, 6 triples, 41 runs and 10 stolen bases… Rogers batted .322 with nine doubles, eight home runs, 34 RBI and 24 runs… Sydney Siegler posted a team-best 11 wins with a 3.69 ERA and 86 strikeouts… Natasha Sherrod came out of the bullpen to post a 6-1 mark and a 2.62 ERA.

The Series – Following a regular season sweep, Radford holds a 15-3 advantage in the series… This is the first meeting at the Big South tournament as well as the first matchup on a neutral field.

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