RADFORD ECLIPSES 2015 WIN TOTAL WITH SWEEP OF EAST CAROLINA

Wednesday, March 16

RADFORD

3PM

Radford University

13-6

East Carolina

17-12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
East Carolina	0	0	1	0	0	3	0	4	10	2
Radford	0	3	2	0	0	4	X	9	11	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
East Carolina	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	5	1
Radford	5	1	0	0	0	0	X	6	3	1

RADFORD ECLIPSES 2015 WIN TOTAL WITH SWEEP OF EAST CAROLINA

3/16/2016 8:46:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

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RADFORD, Va. – Playing its first home games of the 2016 season, the Radford softball team surpassed its victory total from all of the 2015 campaign by sweeping East Carolina in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, prevailing 9-4 in the opener before cruising to a 6-1 decision in the nightcap.

The Highlanders never trailed in either game against the Pirates and have now won eight of their last 10 contests to improve to 14-6 on the year. The victories were also RU's first over ECU since 1998.

Whitney Davis led the way offensively, going a combined 5 for 6 at the plate with four runs scored and six RBIs, including a grand slam in the first inning of the second game.

In the first game, Radford totaled 11 hits as a team, with eight different players collecting at least one and five recording at least one RBI. Davis went 3 for 3, while Marissa Gagliano added two hits. Abby Morrow (8-5) notched the victory, allowing 10 hits and striking out five with no walks.

The Highlanders jumped out to a 5-1 lead through three innings, starting with a three-run second. After a pair of walks and an illegal pitch, Nia Chiles poked an RBI double to left-center before Becky Mantel delivered a two-out, two-run single down the right field line to make it 3-0.

After East Carolina (17-13) got on the board in the top of third, Radford plated two in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Hannah Medlam and Gagliano. A one-out double by Kayla Bishton and a single by Davis set the table.

The Pirates closed the gap to one run in the top of the sixth on a three-run homer, but again the Highlanders answered, scoring four in the bottom of the frame to break it back open. After singles by Marissa Yow and Casey Burns, Davis hit a two-run double to right. Another run scored on a wild pitch and Davis alertly came home from third on a throw to first after a dropped third strike to cap the scoring.

Davis then gave RU a big early cushion in the second game with her second career grand slam. Three walks around a hit batter to start the bottom of the first got the Highlanders on the board before Davis hit a 2-2 pitch on a line over the centerfield fence to make it 5-0.

Radford's final run came in the second as Gagliano hit a leadoff double, stole third and scored on an RBI groundout by Yow.

That was more enough offense for Kayla Huffman, who retired the first 12 ECU batters before pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth. The Pirates spoiled the shutout with a run in the seventh, but Huffman allowed just five hits, struck out five and walked one to improve to 4-1.

Radford now gets set to open Big South Conference at Charleston Southern this weekend. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. before the teams wrap up the three-game series on Sunday.

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