Softball 2/15/2018 5:35:00 PM

RADFORD CARRIES HOT HITTING TO FIRST PITCH CLASSIC

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford softball team looks to continue its hot hitting at the First Pitch Classic, hosted by Charlotte, which begins on Friday morning. The Highlanders will face Dayton at 10 a.m., before taking on host Charlotte at 2:30 p.m., in the first day of the tournament.

Radford battles UNC Wilmington at 11 a.m., in its lone game on Saturday and wraps up play with a 10 a.m., matchup against Dayton and a 12:30 p.m., first pitch against UNC Wilmington.

SETTING THE STAGE
• Location: Charlotte, N.C. (D.L. Phillips Softball Complex)
• Live Stats
• Watch Live (Charlotte | $$)
• Game Notes

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS
• Radford (4-0) defeated 2017 NCAA Tournament participant, ETSU, twice last weekend and added a win against Austin Peay and Murray State.
• The Highlanders have outscored their opponents 20-7, including nine against the Buccaneers.
• With nine home runs in four games on the young season, Radford is eighth in the country averaging 2.25 per contest.
• Sofia Tapia and Maggie Rowe lead the Big South with two long balls each. No other Big South players have more than one.
• Radford hit five against Austin Peay, which was the most since 2014 when they did it against Liberty.
• The 4-0 start is the best in program history to begin the first four games of the season.
• As a team, Radford is batting .253 with 25 hits. Marissa Gagliano leads the squad with a .417 batting average and five hits.
• Hannah Medlam is tied for first in the Big South with two doubles. She is batting .364 on the season.
• The Highlanders have a 1.25 ERA as a team, led by Abby Morrow (2-0) with a 0.39 ERA.
• Opponents are only batting .194 and have only scored seven runs against Highlander pitching.

SCOUTING DAYTON
• Series: Dayton leads 2-1 | Last Meeting: April 5, 1997 (Radford won 5-4)
• Dayton will make its first appearance of the season against the Highlanders on Friday morning.
• It will be the first meeting in 11 years between the two teams.
• The Flyers finished 29-27 last season, but hit the ball well recording a .300 team batting average.
• Kailee Budicin returns as the Flyers' leading hitter, recording a .365 batting average a season ago.

SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
• Series: Charlotte leads 15-10 | Last Meeting: Feb. 19, 2014 (Radford won 6-5)
• Charlotte got off to a quick 2-0 start picking up two wins against Elon, but fell to SEC foe South Carolina, 5-2 on Wednesday night.
• The 49ers pitchers have combined for 23 strikeouts and have 19 coming from Haley Wiseman.
• Wiseman is 1-1 this season with a 3.00 ERA. She allowed five runs against South Carolina and only two against Elon in her only appearances.
• Offensively, junior Kiersten Berrier has gone 5-for-10 at the plate with three runs scored and one RBI.

SCOUTING UNC WILMINGTON
• Series: Radford leads 16-5 | Last Meeting: March 6, 2016 (Radford won 6-3)
• The Seahawks won 35 games last season and advanced to the NISC.
• Last season, UNC Wilmington scored 244 runs, but only allowed 162 runs and posted a 1.66 team ERA.
• The Seahawks have their top two offensive weapons returning in Rachel Willis and Kelsey Bryan. Willis recorded a .344 batting average, which led the team, while Bryan was second with a .342 batting average. Together the two recorded 107 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs and 44 RBIs.
• Although losing one of its top pitchers from 2017, UNCW has senior Sarah Davis returning in the circle. Davis was second on the squad last season with a 3.14 ERA and 84 strikeouts, but led the team with 16 wins.

UP NEXT
The First Pitch Classic continues on Saturday with a solo game at 11 a.m., against UNC Wilmington and ends with Dayton at 10 a.m., and UNC Wilmington at 12:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

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

#24 Hannah Medlam: OF; 5' 6"; Junior; L/R

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

#24 Hannah Medlam
: 5' 6"; Junior; L/R
: OF

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

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

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