RADFORD STARTS 8-GAME HOMESTAND WITH SERIES VS. CSU

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford softball team begins an eight-game homestand with a Big South Conference series against Charleston Southern this weekend. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and a single game on Sunday, also with a 1 p.m. first pitch.

After splitting their first two conference series' on the road, the Highlanders will now play 12 of their last 15 games at home, where they are 6-1 on the season.

Radford holds a 50-27 all-time lead against Charleston Southern and has prevailed in each of the last five regular-season series' with the last three coming by 2-1 margins. The Highlanders posted 4-1 and 3-1 road wins last year before dropping the series finale, 8-5. Radford is 17-9 against the Buccaneers at home.

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Records: 17-15, 3-3
Hunter Mundy has reached base in 15 straight games dating back to March 17, batting .512 in that span with hits in 13 games and seven multi-hit outings.
Mundy leads the Big South with .579 average (11 for 19) and .636 on-base percentage during conference play while ranking second in slugging (.842). For the season, the freshman remains fifth in the league with a .374 average and tied for fifth with 27 RBIs.
Kayla Bishton hit .444 (8 for 18) in the team's first six conference games, while Maggie Rowe led the way with nine RBIs. Mundy drove in six runs and Bishton added five.
Radford leads the Big South with a 3.29 ERA in league play, with Kayla Huffman ranking second individually at 1.50. She has allowed 15 hits in 14.0 innings and struck out 18.
Huffman is now tied for fourth with her 3.20 season ERA and remains fifth with 68 strikeouts, averaging 7.9 per seven innings.
Abby Morrow ranks 27th nationally in fewest walks per seven innings.
Against Charleston Southern last year, Huffman and Morrow combined to allow just four earned runs in 19.2 innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.
Mundy leads the team with 11 multi-hit games on the season, while Bishton has nine and Marissa Gagliano eight. Mundy has a team-high eight games with multiple RBIs, followed by Rowe with six and Brittany Wratchford with five.
Sofia Tapia is fourth in the conference with her 20 walks.
Radford has scored first in six of their seven home games and is 14-4 overall when getting on the board first.
The Highlanders are 16-1 when leading after four innings and 0-13 when trailing. They remain unbeaten (11-0) when holding teams to two runs or less and are 13-1 when outhitting their opponent.

SCOUTING CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

Records: 18-26, 3-6
Charleston Southern is coming off an 8-3 home win over Alabama St. on Tuesday, but had dropped five of its last six before that.
The Buccaneers were swept by Liberty to start Big South play, won two of three over Gardner-Webb and lost two of three at Presbyterian last weekend.
CSU is hitting .301 as a team in conference play with a league-best 10 home runs, while averaging 4.11 runs per game. Overall, the Buccaneers have totaled 50 homers and rank 10th nationally in home runs per game.
Sophomore outfielder Jade Gandara is first in the Big South and tied for fifth in the NCAA with 13 homers. She also leads the league with 12 doubles, 40 RBIs and is second in both hits and slugging. In conference play, she is hitting .484 and leads the way with six homers, four doubles and a 1.194 slugging percentage.
Senior outfielder Amanda Matsumoto has scored a team-high 28 runs and leads the Big South with 29 stolen bases (on 31 attempts). She is hitting .289 for the season, but in league action ranks second at .536 and a .606 on-base percentage.
Senior outfielder Stevi Johnson leads the team with a .351 average, while sophomore catcher Caitlyn Emberson has totaled nine home runs and nine doubles.
The Buccaneers are 55 for 66 on stolen base attempts, including 12 for 16 in league play.
Redshirt junior Cheyenne Gandara has returned to lead CSU in the circle after missing last season due to injury. Gandara, the 2014 Big South Tournament MVP and an all-conference first team member in 2015, is 6-10 with a 3.44 ERA this season. She has totaled 74 strikeouts and 35 walks in 97.2 innings.
Sophomore Arizona Pilgrim had a 5-9 record and 3.20 ERA in 81 innings with 45 strikeouts and 29 walks, while freshman Holly Clark is 6-6 with a 4.23 ERA in 89.1 innings with 60 strikeouts and 27 walks.

UP NEXT

Radford continues the homestand with a non-conference doubleheader against Western Carolina on Wednesday. The first game is scheduled for 3 p.m.

For the latest on Radford Athletics, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Highlander Happenings.

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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