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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Kayla Bishton
RUHighlanderPhotos.com
4
Winner Liberty LIBERTY 27-24
3
Radford RADFORD 29-19
Winner
Liberty LIBERTY
27-24
4
Final
3
Radford RADFORD
29-19
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Liberty LIBERTY 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 4 7 2
Radford RADFORD 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 5 1

W: DIMARTINO, Julia (15-10) L: Morrow, Abby (17-14)

Game Recap: Softball |

RADFORD FALLS IN 10-INNING SERIES OPENER; NIGHTCAP SUSPENDED



RADFORD, Va. – The Radford softball team was dealt its second straight extra-inning defeat, falling to Liberty 4-3 on Tuesday in the first game of the Big South Conference doubleheader.
 
The second game was suspended due to lighting issues with the Highlanders leading 3-1 with one out in the top of the fourth inning. Umpires stopped the game and held a discussion with the respective coaches before the decision was made to complete the game on Wednesday prior to the series finale. It is scheduled to resume at 12 p.m. Check back at RadfordAthletics.com and on twitter for updates with rain in the forecast.
 
The opener was tied 2-2 after seven innings and stayed that way until the international tiebreaker went into effect in the 10th. Liberty advanced the runner from second to third on a sacrifice bunt and she scored when Nia Chiles caught a popup over her shoulder in shallow right. Katie Zavodny was then walked intentionally and stole second on a controversial play as she collided with Gagliano as the shortstop tried to field the throw. A single to left-center then provided the eventual game-deciding run.
 
In the Highlanders' half, Hannah Medlam moved to third on a groundout and scored on an error with two outs. Becky Mantel was then hit by a pitch and an intentional walk to Kayla Bishton loaded the bases. However, Liberty pitcher Julia DiMartino got a called third strike to end the game.
 
DiMartino, the reigning Big South Pitcher of the Week, went the distance for the Flames, while Abby Morrow basically did the same. The Highlander junior logged a career-high 9 2-3 innings, only coming out for one batter in the middle of the eighth. She allowed seven hits and struck out six.
 
Bishton hit a two-run home run, while Medlam totaled two of Radford's five hits against DiMartino.
 
Radford was unable to take advantage of Summer Robinson's leadoff double in the second inning, while Liberty used a leadoff double in the fourth by Zavodny to take a 1-0 lead. Zavodny recorded her 25th stolen base to reach third and was able to slide in ahead of the throw on a bunt back to Morrow.
 
The Highlanders answered to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of frame on Bishton's third home run of the season. After Robinson reached on an error, Bishton went the opposite way, slicing one off the left-field foul pole.
 
Zavodny tied it up at 2-2 in the sixth on a one-out home run to left field. The Highlanders then had a chance to win it in the seventh as Marissa Yow led off by doubling to right-center – her 12th of the season. Pinchrunner Haley Hutchins was able stole third base with no outs. Following a strikeout, Medlam reached on a bunt single that barely got out of the batter's box, with Hutchins unable to advance. Liberty then got a forceout at the plate on a grounder before the Flames' second baseman made a diving catch on a low liner off the bat of Chiles to end the inning.

Neither team mounted a threat in the next two innings before the 10th. Becky Mantel drew a walk and was hit by pitch to make it 22 games in a row reaching base. 
 
Radford jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the second game, helped by a pair of Liberty errors. Marissa Gagliano reached on the first and eventually came home on an RBI single to right by Bishton. Two more runs then scored on a throwing error by the second baseman.
 
Liberty got its run in the top of the second on a double and a triple. Lauren McIntyre started and allowed three hits before play was stopped.
 
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