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Radford University Athletics

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Kayla Huffman
Radford Athletics Communications
9
Winner St. John's SJUSB 12-8
7
Radford RAD 9-11
Winner
St. John's SJUSB
12-8
9
Final
7
Radford RAD
9-11
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
St. John's SJUSB 0 0 6 0 3 0 0 9 12 1
Radford RAD 0 2 0 0 0 5 0 7 5 1

W: Grace Kramer (3-3) L: Morrow, Abby (8-5) S: Tori Free (1)

0
St. John's SJUSB 12-9
2
Winner Radford RAD 10-11
St. John's SJUSB
12-9
0
Final
2
Radford RAD
10-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
St. John's SJUSB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3
Radford RAD 1 0 1 0 0 0 X 2 2 0

W: Huffman, Kayla (1-3) L: Madison Morris (2-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

HUFFMAN’S 4-HIT SHUTOUT GIVES RADFORD SPLIT VS. ST. JOHN’S



RADFORD, Va. – Kayla Huffman pitched her first career complete game shutout to lead Radford to a 2-0 victory over St. John's Sunday afternoon, giving the Highlanders a split of the doubleheader following a 9-7 loss in the opener.
 
After the Red Storm had totaled 12 hits in the first game, Huffman limited them to just four in the nightcap, the fewest allowed by the sophomore in a complete game as Highlander. She tied a career-best with six strikeouts, while walking two.
 
Radford recorded just two hits in the win, but manufactured a run in the first inning and Brittany Wratchford added a home run in the third, her second of the day.
 
The Highlanders (10-11) totaled five home runs in the two games, including a season-high four in the opener as they tried to rally from a 9-2 deficit. Sofia Tapia hit two in the contest, her first career multi-homer game, and drove in four runs, while Wratchford and Hunter Mundy each added one home run.
 
Radford took a 2-0 edge in each game, but Huffman made the second lead stand up, not allowing a hit until the fifth inning. After a one-out walk in the first, she retired 11 straight St. John's batters before a single to start the fifth. The Red Storm added a two-out, but Huffman ended the inning with a foulout to left.
 
The visitors threatened again in the seventh on a one-out walk and two-out infield single, but another foulout - this one off the bat of Krystal Puga, who had hit a grand slam in the opener – closed out the victory.
 
In starts last season, Huffman had worked six scoreless innings in a combined shutout against Norfolk State and allowed one unearned run in a complete game against Charleston Southern. She was helped Sunday by strong defensive plays by Marissa Gagliano and Tapia, who took away an extra-base hit with a catch in front of the fence in the fourth inning.
 
Gagliano also provided the first run for the Highlanders, as she drew a leadoff walk, stole second – her 16th of the year – moved to third on a throwing error by the catcher and scored on an RBI grounder off the bat of Mundy.
 
Wratchford then went deep over the left-field fence for the second time on the day with two outs in the third. She now has a team-leading five homers on the season.
 
In the first game, the first of Tapia's pair of two-run homers put the Highlanders up 2-0 in the second inning, but St. John's scored nine straight runs and held off the late comeback bid.
 
The Red Storm scored six runs on four hits in the third inning, capped by Puga's grand slam, and added three more in the fifth before Radford homered three times to score five in the bottom of the sixth. After Gagliano walked, Mundy hit a two-run shot to center, her third of the season and Wratchford followed three pitches later to go back-to-back. Tapia then sliced one over the fence in left after Maggie Rowe had reached on an error.
 
However, Tori Free came on in relief for St. John's (12-9) and worked a 1-2-3 seventh to record the save. Abby Morrow suffered the loss, allowing nine earned with six strikeouts and two walks.
 
The Highlanders will be back at home for another doubleheader on Tuesday, hosting NC Central (3-15) at 5 p.m.
 
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