SOFTBALL FACES EAST CAROLINA FOR HOME OPENER WEDNESDAY

Follow @RadfordSoftball

RADFORD, Va. – After winning 12 of 18 games away from home to begin the season, the Radford softball finally plays on its home turf for the first time Wednesday as the Highlanders welcome East Carolina for a doubleheader. First pitch of the opener is set for 3 p.m.

Radford has won six of its last eight contests and will surpass its 2015 win total with one more victory.

SETTING THE STAGE

Location: Radford Softball Stadium
Time: 3 p.m./5 p.m.
Live Stats
Live Video
Series: East Carolina leads 21-2
Last Meeting: East Carolina 5, Radford 1 (Feb. 29, 2008)
The teams have played just three prior games in Radford and none since 1998. Both Highlander wins over the Pirates came at home.

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Record: 12-6
With three homers apiece this season, Becky Mantel has moved up to seventh on RU's all-time home run list with 26, while Whitney Davis is now tied for eighth at 25.
Mantel has posted 87 HBP's in her career, five away from tying the all-time NCAA Division I record.
Abby Morrow ranks third in the nation in walks allowed per seven innings at 0.41 and has given up two or fewer earned runs in her last six starts.
Morrow leads the Big South with seven wins, is second with a 2.26 ERA and stands third in opponents' batting average at .221.
Kayla Huffman remains fifth in the conference with 2.93 ERA and is fourth in opponents' batting average (.222).
The Highlanders' 2.68 team ERA is second in the league, while their .302 batting average is third-best.
Seven RU players remain over .300 at the plate, led by Marissa Yow at .364. She also has team-highs of seven doubles and 16 RBIs, sixth-most in the Big South. The freshman leads RU with five multiple-RBI games and has five multi-hit efforts.
Mantel and Yow have each reached base in eight straight games, while Nia Chiles has recorded at least one hit in seven of the last eight contests.
Mantel leads the team with 17 runs scored and is second with 12 RBIs. Marissa Gagliano is second with 14 runs and third with 10 RBIs, along with recording a team-high nine stolen bases.
Radford is 12-0 this season when scoring at least three runs.
The Highlanders have outhit their opponent in the 13 of the 18 games and are 10-3 when doing so.

SCOUTING EAST CAROLINA

Record: 17-11
East Carolina is coming off a 4-1 weekend at the Under Armour Showcase, its second straight weekend tournament in Clearwater, Fla. The wins were over Northern Kentucky, Bowling Green, Southern Illinois and IPFW, while the loss was to New Mexico State.
The Pirates have played two opponents common to Radford, defeating both Virginia (9-1) and Detroit (11-0), although they faced different starting pitchers from both teams than the Highlanders.
Junior Lydia Ritchie has posted impressive numbers in the circle, ranking tied for first in the nation with six shutouts, and owning a 10-3 record with a 1.35 ERA. In 88 innings pitched, the right-hander has recorded 102 strikeouts (14th nationally) while walking 34. She has already made 22 appearance and its holding opposing hitters to a .184 average.
Freshman Mary Williams and sophomore Ashley Cruise have each started seven games and have ERAs of 4.17 and 4.29, respectively.
East Carolina is batting .262 as a team with 38 doubles and 18 home runs.
Kelsi Briggs has the top average at .338, following a 3 for 4 performance in the last game on Sunday.
Senior Casey Alcorn, an All-AAC first-team shortstop last year, is batting .309 with team-highs of six doubles and 17 RBIs, while Karlie Smith is just behind with a .301 average, five doubles and 12 RBIs. The duo are among three players to share the team's home run lead with three.

UP NEXT
Radford returns to the road for its next nine games, beginning with a Big South Conference opening series at Charleston Southern on Saturday and Sunday.

For the latest on Radford Athletics, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Highlander Happenings.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#7 Nia Chiles: UT; 5' 11"; Senior; L/R

#15 Whitney Davis: 3B; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

#5 Marissa Gagliano: OF/SS; 5' 4"; Redshirt Freshman; L/R

#12 Becky Mantel: OF; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

#2 Abby Morrow: P; 5' 10"; Junior; R/R

#22 Kayla Huffman: P; 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R

#23 Marissa Yow: C; 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#7 Nia Chiles
: 5' 11"; Senior; L/R
: UT

#15 Whitney Davis
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: 3B

#5 Marissa Gagliano
: 5' 4"; Redshirt Freshman; L/R
: OF/SS

#12 Becky Mantel
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#2 Abby Morrow
: 5' 10"; Junior; R/R
: P

#22 Kayla Huffman
: 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#23 Marissa Yow
: 5' 9"; Freshman; R/R
: C