SENIOR DAY, ESPN3 GAME PART OF SATURDAY DH VS. PRESBYTERIAN

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford softball team starts off a seven-game homestand with a Big South Conference weekend series against Presbyterian, beginning with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m.

The Highlanders will honor their 2016 senior class prior to Saturday's games and the opener of the twinbill will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Radford (26-15) comes in on a season-high six-game win streak, its longest since an eight-game run two years ago.

SETTING THE STAGE

Days/Times: Saturday, April 16, 1 p.m. (DH) | Sunday, April 17, 1 p.m.
Location: Radford Softball Stadium
Live Stats
Live Video: Game 1 (ESPN3)
Series: Radford leads 15-6
History: Presbyterian has won the last three meetings, including 6-5 and 8-0 decisions last year. Radford is 8-1 against the Blue Hose at home, including five victories in a row. The Highlanders outscored PC 23-0 in a three-game sweep here in 2014.

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Record: 26-15, 7-5
In her last four starts, Abby Morrow is 4-0 and has not allowed an earned run over 25.1 innings, with 18 strikeouts and zero walks.
Morrow now leads the Big South with 15 wins and five shutouts, while ranking second with a 2.02 ERA.
With Wednesday's one-hitter, Lauren McIntyre improved to 6-0 and lowered her ERA to 2.24.
Both are now among the top four in the nation in fewest walks allowed per seven innings. McIntyre has reached the innings-minimum and is third at 0.48, with Morrow right behind at 0.54.
Summer Robinson remained red-hot at the plate, batting .448 over the last 10 games with five home runs and 18 RBIs. She has also had two doubles and one triple in that span, giving her a team-high 16 extra-base hits for the season.
Robinson's 29 RBIs for the year are second on the team and just one less than her first two seasons combined. Her six home runs match her combined total as a freshman and sophomore.
Becky Mantel reached base in both games Wednesday, giving her 15 in a row. She has scored 11 runs in the last six contests, setting a new career-high with 38 on the season, third-most in the Big South.
Nia Chiles has a career-best 25 runs scored and 19 stolen bases.
Marissa Gagliano saw her eight-game hit streak snapped, but has reached safely in 10 consecutive games and remains fourth in the conference in hits with 49. She is fifth in average at .355.
Radford answered back to score after Hampton tallied its only run in Wednesday's doubleheader, making it nine times in a row that the Highlanders have followed opponents runs with their own. The Highlanders have now done so 37 out of 80 opportunities (46 percent) on the season.

SCOUTING PRESBYTERIAN

Record: 21-19, 7-7
Presbyterian comes in having lost four of its last five games, including a 3-2 walk-off defeat at Gardner-Webb on Thursday.
In Big South play, the Blue Hose have won two of three against Campbell and swept a home doubleheader with Winthrop, but dropped two of three to Coastal Carolina, Liberty and Gardner-Webb.
PC is batting .248 as a team with 45 doubles and 37 home runs, tied for second-most in the conference.
Freshman Megan Anderson has led the way offensively, ranking third in the Big South with a .377 average and 35 RBIs. She has a team-high 43 hits, including seven doubles and eight home runs.
Hope Rogers is tied for third in the conference with 12 home runs, while batting .304 with 27 RBIs and a team-best 26 runs.
Erin Ruff, an All-Big South first team member last year, is hitting .294 with four home runs and 23 runs.
Junior transfer Kelsie Sanchez is second on the team with a .343 average, including eight doubles and seven homers, while Kersten Legacki also shares the team-high with eight doubles.
Sydney Seigler and Katie Brown have combined to start 36 of the team's 40 games. Seigler is 9-9 with a 3.30 ERA over 125.1 innings, with 81 strikeouts and 28 walks.
Brown holds a 10-9 mark and 3.91 ERA in 93 innings with 39 strikeouts and 30 walks.

UP NEXT
Following the weekend series, Radford resumes its homestand with a game against Virginia Tech, scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Highlanders dropped a 2-1 decision to the Hokies in Blacksburg last month.

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Players Mentioned

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

#6 Summer Robinson: OF; 5' 3"; Junior; R/R

#8 Lauren McIntyre: P/INF; 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

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

#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

#6 Summer Robinson
: 5' 3"; Junior; R/R
: OF

#8 Lauren McIntyre
: 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R
: P/INF