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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Weddle at Elon
2
Charleston Southern CSU 21-15, 3-3 BSC
5
Winner RADFORD RADFORD 8-17, 4-4 BSC
Charleston Southern CSU
21-15, 3-3 BSC
2
Final
5
RADFORD RADFORD
8-17, 4-4 BSC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Charleston Southern CSU 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 0
RADFORD RADFORD 0 2 1 0 0 2 X 5 6 1

W: Weddle, Kelsey (2-3) L: GILES, Jennifer (6-7)

21
Winner Charleston Southern CSU 21-14, 3-2 BSC
6
RADFORD RADFORD 7-17, 3-4 BSC
Winner
Charleston Southern CSU
21-14, 3-2 BSC
21
Final
6
RADFORD RADFORD
7-17, 3-4 BSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Charleston Southern CSU 11 3 0 3 4 21 14 4
RADFORD RADFORD 0 0 5 1 0 6 7 2

W: ELKINS, Hayley (2-0) L: Asimakopoulos, Taylor (3-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

WEDDLE’S COMPLETE GAME HIGHLIGHTS RADFORD’S SERIES-CLINCHING VICTORY

RADFORD, Va. ---- On a day that saw 10 home runs between the two sides, Radford rebounded after dropping Sunday's first part of the doubleheader to clinch the series with a 5-2 victory in the finale at the Radford Softball Stadium. Kelsey Weddle pitched a complete game, limiting Charleston Southern to just two runs on four hits.
 
"We were not at our best during the first game, but we came out and refocused knowing we had a chance to win the series," said head coach Maggie White. "We came out and took care of business in the second game. Both of our seniors stepped up and decided to get the job done. We have always had power, but what we are doing well is having an offensive plan against certain pitchers and executing that plan extremely well."
 
Five different Highlanders (8-17, 4-4 BSC) tallied multiple hits between the two contests Sunday. Maggie Rowe led the way with two hits, both for home runs. Rowe finished the doubleheader with a team-high four RBI. She is now tied with Whitney Davis and Becky Mantel for the team-lead in homers at four. Mackenzie Blackwell cranked a home run in the series finale to make her just the third on the team to record a double, triple and home run this season. Becky Mantel had two hits in the first game, highlighted by a two-RBI double. Mantel reached base in each of the three games this weekend to push her streak of consecutive games reaching base to 11.
 
Taylor Asimakopoulos started in the circle in game one after getting her third win of the season in Saturday's series opener. Asimakopoulos gave up three hits and five runs in the opening inning. Tiffany Brown carried the load in the first part of the doubleheader, pitching 4.2 innings. Sixteen runs came in to score on 11 hits while Brown occupied the circle. She struck out five batters in the effort. Weddle was given the ball to start the day's second contest, throwing a complete game for her second win on the year. She held the Bucs to just four hits and two runs in seven innings of work.
 
"I just really felt the support behind me on offense and defense," said Weddle. "Anytime they got runs we were able to back it up. We knew we had to jump on them fast and get ahead."
 
With two wins this weekend, Radford has now won 10 of the past 13 meetings against Charleston Southern. Saturday's victory over the Bucs marked the Highlanders' 200th win in Big South play. The Red and White's first Big South triumph came against Charleston Southern back in 1992.
 
Next up for Radford is a trip to Johnson City, Tenn., for a doubleheader against ETSU on Wednesday, April 1, starting at 4 p.m. Radford is 1-1 against the Buccaneers this season after meeting twice in the ETSU Tournament from March 7-8.
 
For the latest news on the Radford softball team, follow the Highlanders on Twitter at @RadfordSoftball. To keep up with all Radford athletics, follow @RU_Athletics on Twitter.
 
 
:: Game 1 ::
 
Charleston Southern (21-15, 3-3 BSC) got off to a quick start with an 11-run first inning. Cheyenne Gandara gave herself quite the cushion in the circle after totaling six RBI's in the first inning. Gandara put the Bucs on the board first after a two-RBI home run and then cleared the bases again with a grand slam, giving the Bucs a 10-0 lead. Stephanie Baro added four RBI of her in the opening frame with a three-RBI homer to left field and an RBI single hit to short.
 
Coming off a two-home run first inning, Gandara continued her program-record setting game with a third homer in as many at bats in the second to extend the Bucs' lead to 14-0.
 
Radford would find some life in the bottom of the third, pushing five runs across. Summer Robinson would get things started for the Highlanders after singling up the middle, and Nia Chiles would reach on an error. After a balk allowed the runners to advance one base, Mantel hit a double to score two. Megan Honaker would score Mantel on a single, which would bring Rowe to the plate. The freshman cranked her third home run and seventh extra base hit of the season to give Radford five runs in the inning.
 
Charleston Southern would answer in the top of the fourth with yet another home run, this time by Stevi Johnson. The three-run shot would push the lead to 17-5.
 
Robinson cut into the deficit in the bottom of the side on an RBI double down the left line. It was her third double of the season and first since the Highlanders were last at home against Virginia Tech on May 18. Mackenzie Blackwell came in to score from second base on Robinson's shot after singling up the middle to reach base.
 
The Bucs wrapped the game up in the fifth with their second grand slam of the outing, this time coming from Jordan Evans.
 
:: Game 2::
 
For the second time on the day, Charleston Southern struck first in the opening inning. Weddle was able to limit the damage to one run with a ground out and two fly balls hit to the outfield. Back-to-back singles engineered the Bucs' run in the first, putting runners in scoring position for Stephanie Baro's RBI single hit down the right line.
 
Charleston Southern extended its lead in the second inning on a leadoff home run off that bat of Georgi DeLio that skied over the left-center wall.
 
Radford knotted the game at two after a two-run homer by Blackwell. Davis reached on a double that nearly found its way out of the park, being knocked down by the fence in left field. Blackwell left no doubt on her first home run of the year, clearing the pine trees in left-center field.
 
The Highlanders took their first lead of the day on an RBI single by Casey Burns. Chiles led off the side with a single up the middle. A pop up by Mantel to short and a ground out by Honaker moved Chiles over to third with two out. Burns laced a ball just passed the reach of the second baseman and into right field for her 11th RBI of the season.
 
The Highlanders lead was pushed to three in the bottom of the sixth on Radford's second long ball of the game. Burns looked at ball four to reach first, bringing Rowe to the plate already with one home run on the day. She cranked her fourth homer of the year just inside the foul pole in left field to put the Red and White up 5-2.
 
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