Softball 4/12/2018 5:14:00 PM

HIGHLANDERS HOST LIBERTY IN COMMONWEALTH CLASH

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RADFORD, Va. – The Radford softball team welcomes league-leader, Liberty, to Radford Softball Stadium for a pivotal Big South series that begins on Friday at 6 p.m., and ends with a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.

SETTING THE STAGE

Opponent: Liberty (30-11, 10-2 Big South)
Series: Radford leads 53-31
Last Meeting: March 25, 2017 | Radford won 11-2
Location: Radford, Va. (Radford Softball Stadium)
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Radford Game Notes
Liberty Game Notes

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Radford (21-13, 5-4 Big South) is coming off a big-time ACC victory over Virginia Tech.
The 4-3 victory over the Hokies gives the Highlanders its third Power Five victory this season.
The Highlanders tallied eight hits on Wednesday night – all from different players – and got a clutch two-run single from Maggie Rowe.
She now has a team-leading 27 RBIs and has recorded at least one RBI in seven of the last eight games.
Rowe has been clutch as Radford has won seven of its last eight games including five Big South wins.
Abby Morrow (14-8) picked up the 60^th complete game of her career and is one appearance away from tying the career record in pitching appearances at Radford.
She has a 2.76 ERA with 140 innings pitched, 72 strikeouts and only 15 walks.
The senior ranks fifth in the nation averaging 0.75 walks per seven innings pitched, while the team ranks 16^th with a 3.67:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Kayla Huffman (6-3) was lights out last weekend against Campbell. She pitched 10 innings, struck out 14 batters and earned the series-clinching win.
Her performance led her to earn Big South Conference Pitcher of the Week.
Marissa Gagliano leads the team in batting average with a .396. She also has a program record 35-game reached base streak, dating back to last season.
Hannah Medlam has boosted her average over the past eight games and has picked up six RBIs over the stretch.
She has a team-high 14 hits and a .467 batting average in Big South play with a .984 OPS.

SCOUTING LIBERTY

Liberty brings in a 30-11 record, but fell to Virginia Tech, 1-0, in extra innings on Tuesday night.
The Flames were picked to finish second in the Big South and boasts the Big South Preseason Player of the Year (Amber Bishop) and Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year (Julia DiMartino).
The two players have lived up to the hype as Bishop ranks inside the conference's top 10 in multiple offensive categories and DiMartino ranks the same in pitching categories.
DiMartino ranks 11^th in the nation with 17 victories and leads the conference with 148 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched.
Amber's sister, Autumn Bishop, also ranks inside the top 10 in multiple Big South categories.
She also ranks third in the nation with 18 doubles – seventh with 0.44 doubles per game.
Liberty averages 1.59 doubles per game as a team, which ranks 19^th in the land.
The Flames rank 10^th in the country in fielding percentage as well with a 0.977.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

#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