RADFORD STARTS BIG SOUTH SLATE WITH SERIES AT LIBERTY

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford softball team becomes the last Big South team to play its first conference game of the 2017 season Friday night when it travels to Liberty for a three-game series, beginning with a 7 p.m. game.

The Commonwealth rivals will then play a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 3 p.m. None of the games will be streamed on the Big South Network, but Liberty's audio call can be heard HERE.

With only six of the league's eight teams qualifying for the Big South Tournament and the top two receiving opening-round byes, the regular-season standings will be of greater importance this season than in years past.

Radford holds a 52-29 all-time lead over Liberty and won three of four meetings last year, including a 2-1 decision in an elimination game of the tournament. Each of the last seven games between the teams have been decided by three runs or less.

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Records: 12-11, 0-0
Radford enters conference play on a three-game winning streak, matching its longest of the season.
The Highlanders allowed just one run in those three victories, including two straight shutouts by Kayla Huffman.
Huffman's 15 strikeouts against NC Central on Tuesday were the second-most in program history. She has 21 in the last two games and 40 on the season in 41.0 innings.
Abby Morrow notched her league-high ninth win and 10th complete game in the other victory on Tuesday. She now ranks fourth in program history with 314 strikeouts, fifth in wins (40) and innings pitched (501) and sixth in complete games (36).
Radford has totaled eight home runs over the last four games, upping its total for the year to 21. Brittany Wratchford still leads with five, Hunter Mundy has four and four others have totaled three apiece.
The Highlanders are currently third in the conference in home runs despite playing the fewest number of games. They stand fourth in batting at .263.
Mundy has a team-high 18 RBIs, including six games with multiple runs driven in. She has reached base in six straight games.
Kayla Bishton and Maggie Rowe share the team-lead in hits with 21, while combining for 12 doubles and 21 RBIs.
Wratchford stands second on the team with 14 RBIs and nine extra-base hits, while ranking fifth in the Big South in slugging (.625).
Sofia Tapia has a team-best 16 walks (tied for third in the conference), and is second in runs scored (13) and stolen bases (12) and third with 12 RBIs.
Marissa Gagliano is third in the league with her 16 stolen bases and still leads the team in runs (17).
Radford shares the Big South-lead in fielding percentage and has committed just three errors over the last eight games.

SCOUTING LIBERTY

Records: 16-12, 3-0
Liberty comes in on a six-game winning streak, including a three-game road sweep of Charleston Southern last weekend to start its Big South schedule.
The Flames, who were second in the conference's preseason poll, outscored the Buccaneers 29-11 in the series, their most recent contests.
Four of the team's losses this season came to top-five teams UCLA, Florida and Auburn.
Liberty leads the Big South with a .329 team average (22nd in NCAA), 5.8 runs per game and 48 doubles, while ranking second with 51 stolen bases.
Six players on the team are hitting over .350, led by junior outfielder Tori Zavodny at .409. The freshman tandem of catcher Autumn Bishop and second baseman Amber Bishop are next at .391 and 3.80, respectively.
Autumn Bishop leads the conference with 29 runs and 10 doubles, while adding 19 RBIs. Amber Bishop ranks second in the league with 26 RBIs and has a team-high five home runs and is the reigning Freshman of the Week.
Sophomore shortstop Sarah Robertson is second on the team with nine doubles and 21 RBIs, while hitting .352. Alexia Taylor had a pair of three-hit games vs. CSU to earn Player of the Week honors and is batting. 357 with 14 RBIs.
In the circle, Julia DiMartino, Chase Cassady and Kenzie Friesen have combined to start 24 of the team's 28 games.
DiMartino, an All-Big South second team member as a freshman last year, is 4-4 with a 2.57 ERA this season. She has 50 strikeouts and 24 walks in 51.2 innings.
Cassady has a totaled a team-high 13 starts and 62.2 innings, owning a 4-5 mark with a 3.91 ERA and 59 strikeouts with 29 walks.
Friesen, a redshirt senior, is 5-1 with a 3.69 ERA in 30.1 innings. She made just seven appearances last season after starting 19 games in 2015.

UP NEXT

Radford is back at home on Wednesday to host a doubleheader against Norfolk State, with the first game set for 2 p.m.

RADFORD TO HOST ESPNU GAME
The Big South announced its spring ESPN broadcast schedule on Thursday and Radford will host the conference's only softball game on ESPNU on April 29 against two-time defending champion Longwood. The network will air the first game of the scheduled doubleheader between the teams, with first pitch now set for 2 p.m. Also, the first game of the Highlanders' doubleheader at Gardner-Webb on April 1 will air on ESPN3, also at 2 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

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

#5 Marissa Gagliano: SS; 5' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; L/R

#22 Kayla Huffman: P; 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R

#2 Abby Morrow: P; 5' 10"; Senior; R/R

#38 Maggie Rowe: C; 5' 4"; Junior; R/R

#3 Hunter Mundy: 3B; 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R

#13 Sofia Tapia: OF; 5' 3"; Freshman; L/L

#11 Brittany Wratchford: INF; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

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

#5 Marissa Gagliano
: 5' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; L/R
: SS

#22 Kayla Huffman
: 5' 7"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

#2 Abby Morrow
: 5' 10"; Senior; R/R
: P

#38 Maggie Rowe
: 5' 4"; Junior; R/R
: C

#3 Hunter Mundy
: 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R
: 3B

#13 Sofia Tapia
: 5' 3"; Freshman; L/L
: OF

#11 Brittany Wratchford
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: INF