SOFTBALL OPENS BIG SOUTH SERIES AT WINTHROP FRIDAY

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford softball team makes its second trip to South Carolina in less than a week as it faces Winthrop in a Big South Conference series, beginning with a single game Friday evening at 5 p.m. The teams will then play a doubleheader Saturday afternoon before the Easter holiday.

After taking two of three at Charleston Southern, the Highlanders will look to notch their second straight road series win to begin conference play. All three games against the Eagles are set to air on the Big South Network.

SETTING THE STAGE

Days/Times: Friday, March 25 - 5 p.m | Saturday, March 26 - 1 p.m. (DH)
Location: Terry Field (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Live Stats
Live Video: Game1 | Games 2-3
Series: Radford leads 42-34
History: RU has won 17 of 21 meetings since the 2010 season and seven of the last eight games played in Rock Hill, S.C. The teams split a doubleheader in Radford last year, with the Highlanders winning 5-1 before Winthrop prevailed 7-5 in nine innings.

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Record: 17-8, 2-1
Following Wednesday's doubleheader split at Marshall, Radford is now 9-5 in true road games, more than doubling its victory total from last year.
Radford remains first in the Big South in fielding (.964) and second in both batting (.296) and ERA (2.72).
Abby Morrow (10-5) has won her last five starts, allowing two or fewer runs in four of them, including two straight without an earned run.
The junior right-hander now shares the conference lead in wins and ranks second with a 2.12 ERA.
Morrow has issued just one walk over her last 66.1 innings and is up to second nationally in fewest per seven innings at 0.30 per game.
Kayla Huffman (5-2) still stands third in the Big South with a .220 opponent batting average and fifth in ERA (2.59).
Marissa Gagliano is on a seven-game hitting streak, going 11 for 25 at the plate in that span, and now leads the team with a .353 average and 30 hits.
Gagliano ranks second in the conference in stolen bases (17), sixth in average and tied for sixth in both hits and runs scored (20).
Radford has a Big South-best 42 doubles, with seven players contributing four or more. Marissa Yow has eight, followed by Kayla Bishton with six.
RU's eight triples share the conference lead and it ranks 16th and 17th nationally in doubles and triples per game, respectively.
Bishton is now batting .344, second on the team just ahead of Nia Chiles at .343.
Yow and Whitney Davis lead the Highlanders with 11 extra-base hits and six multiple RBI games and rank first and second in RBI with 20 and 18.

SCOUTING WINTHROP

Record: 10-22, 0-5 BSC
Winthrop comes in on a nine-game losing streak and is 1-10 in its last 11 contests, all away from home.
The Eagles' first five conference games were on the road, three at Liberty last weekend and a doubleheader at Presbyterian on Wednesday – 2-0 and 3-2 decisions.
Winthrop is 8-5 at home, while batting .283 as a team, compared to .237 for the season overall.
The Eagles rank last in the Big South in both hitting and team ERA (5.96).
Leah Young has been the major offensive contributor, ranking fourth in the conference with 26 RBI and fifth with eight home runs.
Young is also second in the league in triples (3), tied for fourth in total bases (56) and tied for sixth in slugging (.667).
Megan Winningham has a team-high .344 average and is second with 13 RBIs despite playing in just 22 of the team's 32 games.
Winthrop lost its top two pitchers from last year to graduation. Senior Dallas King, the top returner, is 4-5 with a 5.48 ERA in 14 appearances (11 starts). She has 43 strikeouts and 16 walks in 46.0 innings.
Freshman left-hander Kiley Majette has logged a team-high 89.2 innings in 21 appearances (12 starts). She is 5-8 with a 5.46 ERA, 49 strikeouts and 40 walks.

UP NEXT
Following the Winthrop series, Radford wraps up its nine-game road stretch with a game at Virginia on Tuesday, before returning home for a doubleheader against East Tennessee State on Wednesday.

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Players Mentioned

#20 Kayla Bishton: OF/1B; 5' 8"; Junior; L/L

#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

#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

#20 Kayla Bishton
: 5' 8"; Junior; L/L
: OF/1B

#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

#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