RADFORD DROPS SERIES OPENER AT LONGWOOD

Friday, April 29

Farmville, VA

7PM

Radford University

31-20, 12-7

Longwood

30-15, 16-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Radford	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	3
Longwood	1	0	1	2	5	1	10	15	1

Photo by: RUHighlanderPhotos.com

4/29/2016 10:10:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

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FARMVILLE, Va. – The Radford softball team struck first against Longwood Friday night, but the first-place Lancers got all the runs after that to pull away for a 10-2 six-inning victory in the opener of the Big South Conference series.

Becky Mantel provided the scoring for the Highlanders (31-20, 12-7) with a two-run home run in the first inning. It was her eighth of the season and 31st of her career. She is now tied with Whitney Davis and Melissa Pickel for fifth on the program's all-time list. She had two of RU's three hits.

In a game in which neither team's ace pitcher – with two of the top three ERAs in the conference – made it through the third inning, Longwood totaled 15 hits while taking advantage of three Radford errors.

The Lancers top three batters – and the first three in their lineup – did just about all of the offensive damage, combining for eight hits, eight RBIs and six runs scored. Carly Adams went 4 for 4, while Jamie Barbour was 3 for 4. Emily Murphy had a three-run homer, along with two walks.

After Mantel's homer, Longwood came back with one run in the bottom of the first using a leadoff double by Barbour and a single by Adams just out of the reach of diving shortstop Marissa Gagliano.

The Highlanders threatened in the third as Gagliano and Mantel singled and Bishton drew a walk that loaded the bases with one out. Longwood's Elizabeth McCarthy then threw two straight balls and the Lancers made a quick pitching change. Freshman Sydney Gay rallied from down in the count twice to get a pair of strikeouts and end the frame.

Longwood then loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning, using a fielding error, double and an intentional walk. Kayla Huffman then came on in relief of Abby Morrow and a got a forceout at the plate. A hit by pitch tied the game at 2-2, but Huffman came back with a strikeout and flyout to limit the damage.

However, another fielding error by the Highlanders with one out in the fourth opened the door and Barbour and Adams capitalized with an RBI double and RBI single, respectively, for a 4-2 lead.

The Lancers then broke it open in the bottom of the fifth, using five hits – two of them bunts that loaded the bases. Adams followed with a two-run single and Murphy's three-run homer made it 9-2. Two singles around a stolen base and groundout then accounted for the final run in the sixth inning.

Huffman suffered the loss, allowing six earned runs on seven hits in three innings. Gay worked 3 2-2 hitless innings with six strikeouts to earn the victory.

The teams will conclude the series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m. Both games will air on the Big South Network.

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