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DOUGLAS
4
Winner Radford RAD 16-12, 2-3 BSC
2
Winthrop WINTHROP 13-16, 3-5 BSC
Winner
Radford RAD
16-12, 2-3 BSC
4
Final
2
Winthrop WINTHROP
13-16, 3-5 BSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Radford RAD 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 9 0
Winthrop WINTHROP 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 3 1

W: Huffman, Kayla (5-3) L: SHROADES. S. (2-5)

6
Winner Radford RAD 17-12, 3-3 BSC
5
Winthrop WINTHROP 13-17, 3-6 BSC
Winner
Radford RAD
17-12, 3-3 BSC
6
Final
5
Winthrop WINTHROP
13-17, 3-6 BSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Radford RAD 0 0 4 0 1 0 1 6 9 1
Winthrop WINTHROP 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 5 11 2

W: Morrow, Abby (12-7) L: WATSON. M. (4-4)

Game Recap: Softball |

ROWE AND DOUGLAS POWER RADFORD IN SWEEP OVER WINTHROP



ROCK HILL, S.C. – Maggie Rowe and Talia Douglas drove in five of the 10 runs and powered the Radford softball team to a series win and a sweep over Winthrop on Saturday. The series clincher was a 4-2 victory, while the series finale was a 6-5 nail-biting win.
 
Radford (17-12, 3-3 Big South) evened its Big South record with a series sweep over Winthrop (13-17, 3-6 Big South). Douglas went a combined 5-for-8 with two doubles, two RBIs and four runs scored on the day. Rowe was the only Highlander with a multi-RBI game as a three-run blast was the difference maker in the final game of the doubleheader.
 
GAME ONE
  • Score: Radford 4, Winthrop 2
  • Records: Highlanders (16-12, 2-3 Big South) | Eagles (13-16, 3-5 Big South)
  • Location: Terry Field | Rock Hill, S.C.
 
The Highlanders scored all the runs they needed in the first two innings as Kayla Huffman (5-3) stole the show in game one with her third complete game this season. She didn't give up a walk and only allowed two runs on three hits while striking out six Eagles.
 
The junior gained some confidence before she threw a pitch as the Radford offense put up three runs in the top of the first inning. Marissa Gagliano roped the first pitch of the game to right field and Sofia Tapia followed that up with a base hit of her own.
 
With runners at first and second, Talia Douglas blasted a 2-2 pitch down the left field line that Gagliano easily scored on and gave Radford an early 1-0 lead. After a strikeout, Tapia – who advanced to third on the Douglas double – scored on a fielder's choice. Douglas moved over to third on the play and scored on a throwing error by the Winthrop pitcher, which gave Radford a 3-0 edge.
 
That was the last time Sabrina Shroades would be in the game. Kiley Majette replaced her and got the two outs needed to end the threat. After a three up, three down inning from Huffman and company, the Highlanders took a 4-0 advantage when Hunter Mundy plated Douglas with a double to left center field.
 
Radford was able to gain a few more base runners, but only two of them were able to get into scoring position. It didn't matter for Huffman, who made only one mistake the entire game and it came in the third inning.
 
Jesse Burleson hit a double to left field with one out in the inning. After a groundout for the second out, Ashley Westbrooks hit a ball that went just over Brianna Mills outstretched glove in left field for a two-run round tripper. The two-run shot cut the lead in half, 4-2.
 
Huffman only gave up one more hit, which came in the fourth inning and closed out the game retiring 10 batters in a row.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Kayla Huffman (5-3) | (7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K)
  • Loss: Sabrina Shroades (2-5) | (0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)
  • Huffman recorded her third complete game this season and her third straight complete game without allowing any walks.
  • She retired 10 batters in a row to close out the contest.
  • Douglas led the way with a 3-for-4 performance and a double. She scored two runs and tallied one RBI.
  • Six other Highlanders recorded hits in the game, but none of them besides the freshman had more than one.
  • Mundy, Rowe and Medlam had the other RBIs in the contest. Mundy also had the only other extra base hit, which was a double.
  • The top third of the lineup scored all the runs for Radford as Gagliano and Tapia scored once and Douglas added two.
  • Ashley Westbrooks had the only RBIs for Winthrop with her home run.
 
GAME TWO
  • Score: Radford 6, Winthrop 5
  • Records: Highlanders (17-12, 3-3 Big South) | Eagles (13-17, 3-6 Big South)
  • Location: Terry Field | Rock Hill, S.C.
 
Game two of the day began a little slower than the first until the third inning. With two runners on and one out, Talia Douglas stepped into the batters box. She poked a ball to left field that scored Lauren Maddrey for the first run of the game. The bases were then cleared after Maggie Rowe hit a deep fly ball down the left field line and wrapped around the foul pole for her fourth home run this season. The long ball gave Radford a 4-0 lead.
 
Winthrop cut into the lead in the fourth inning when Ansley Gilreath hit a solo shot to center field. The Radford bats were able to make that run up as Hannah Medlam hit an RBI single to center field. Douglas scored on the play and extended the lead back to four runs, 5-1.
 
The Eagles threatened in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and one out. Abby Morrow stepped up with arguably her biggest strikeout of the game for the second out of the inning. Then Madyson Watson hit a dribbler to Medlam at second who made an easy play for the last out of the inning.
 
Radford knew they needed to get an insurance run in the top of the seventh. They did just that as pinch runner Sienna Williams scored on a groundball to the shortstop. Williams was running for Rowe, who reached base safely with a stand up, one out double.
 
The Williams' run would be the difference maker as Winthrop rallied with two outs in the seventh. A two-out single, followed by a walk gave the Eagles two aboard with Morgan Lowers at the dish. She belted an 0-2 pitch to the gap in right center field and plated the two on base, cutting the deficit to three, 6-3.
 
Another single placed runners at the corners and a single on the next at-bat scored the fourth Eagle run, while putting the go-ahead run at the plate. Ansley Gilreath, who the Eagles wanted at the plate, hit a hard bouncing ball to third but it got away from Douglas and Blake Wallert was able to score, cutting the Highlander lead to one, 6-5.
 
Watson, the next batter up, had the fifth hit of the inning with a single to right field. However, Tim Cooke, the third base coach, held Keleigh Romine at third base and loaded the bases. The Watson single was the final hit of the inning and the game as Sabrina Shroades flied out to right field, giving Radford its first Big South series sweep since 2016.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Abby Morrow (12-7) | (7.0 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)
  • Loss: Madyson Watson (4-4) | (7.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K)
  • Three different Highlanders had multi-hit games as Douglas and Rowe had two hits each, along with Hannah Medlam's career-high three hit game.
  • Medlam went 3-for-3 with all singles, but drove in one run.
  • Douglas scored twice, drove in one and had one of two doubles.
  • The other double came from Maggie Rowe. She went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
  • Rowe also had the lone home run of the day with a three-run blast in the third inning.
  • Marissa Yow had the other RBI for Radford in a 1-for-3 performance.
  • Marissa Gagliano extended her reached base streak to 29 games.
  • Douglas' glove was almost as busy as her bat, picking up six assists in the game.
  • Four different Eagles had two hit performances in the series finale.
 
QUOTABLE
"The team showed a lot of fight today. We had great pitching in game one and had some timely hits in game two. We had to regain focus in the seventh inning of the second game, but had grit to get the win. No matter what a sweep is always a great way to end a weekend." ~ Hope Creasy
 
ON DECK
Radford will try and increase its 1-0 record against ACC foes to 2-0 as they travel to Charlottesville, Va., for a Tuesday night tilt against Virginia. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
 
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