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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
MARVIN
1
Winner Louisville LOU 12-6
0
Radford RAD 6-10
Winner
Louisville LOU
12-6
1
Final
0
Radford RAD
6-10
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Louisville LOU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0
Radford RAD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1

W: Megan Hensley (4-1) L: Marvin, Jessie (2-4)

2
Radford RAD 6-11
5
Winner Auburn AU 18-4
Radford RAD
6-11
2
Final
5
Auburn AU
18-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Radford RAD 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 1
Auburn AU 1 0 0 1 2 1 X 5 6 1

W: Ashlee Swindle (4-2) L: Huffman, Kayla (2-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

HIGHLANDERS DROP A PAIR OF CLOSE CONTESTS IN DAY ONE OF WAR EAGLE CHALLENGE



AUBURN, Ala. – The Radford softball team held their own against a pair of Power 5 opponents, but ultimately fell to Louisville, 1-0, and No. 20 Auburn, 5-2, on Friday at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Ala.
 
GAME ONE vs. LOUISVILLE
Caitlin Ferguson scored the first run of the game for Louisville and it was all the Cardinals needed in the opener. She drove in Sidney Melton with a one-out double down the left field line. UofL later loaded the bases with one out and was looking for the big inning.
 
That's when Jessie Marvin got Kyra Snyder to hit a dribbler back to the circle. Marvin tossed the ball to Maggie Rowe at the plate for the force out and Rowe threw the ball to first base for the inning-ending double play.
 
Marvin arguably pitched one of the best games in her young career, but the Highlander offense could only muster up four hits. The first hit came in the fourth inning when Hannah Medlam led off with an infield single. Talia Douglas followed that up with a hit of her own.
 
It seemed as though the Highlanders were in business to tie the game at one, or better yet, take the lead. After two outs Destiny Freeman was hit by a pitch and loaded the bases but a strikeout looking ended the golden opportunity.
 
The Highlanders got another runner aboard in the fifth inning when Sydney Fisher continued her hot hitting and moved the hitting streak to 16 games with a two-out single. She was trying to be aggressive on the base paths and get into scoring position, but she was caught stealing to end the inning.
 
Still with a 1-0 lead, the Cardinals had a few insurance runs on the brain. After two quick outs Marvin hit the third batter of the inning. On the ensuing at bat Celene Funke hit a single to right field and advanced to second on the throw to third trying to get Funke, who slid safely under the tag. Another hit batter loaded the bases with two outs for Louisville.
 
Marvin got a ground ball – the ninth of the game – to Bond at third base. The freshman, who started at first but moved to third after the first inning, fielded the ball and stepped on third base for the final out of the inning.
 
The Highlanders hoped that momentum would carry into the bottom of the seventh. Freeman drew a one-out walk, but a line out to third base meant Radford was down to its last out. Bond's bat said not so fast as she drove a ball to center field and extended the game. That was the fourth and final hit of the game as a pinch-hit strikeout sealed the victory for the Cardinals.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Marvin (2-4) suffered the loss after pitching her fourth complete game of the season. She allowed one run to score and one walk but pitched six scoreless innings and tallied two strikeouts.  The top three hitters in the lineup had three of the four hits for Radford. The Cardinals didn't allow a single extra-base hit. However, Radford only allowed one and it came in the first inning. Funke had the only multi-hit game between the two teams.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
The pitching comparison between the Cardinals and Highlanders was almost uncanny. Louisville threw seven more pitches than Radford (117-110) but threw two more balls (44-42) and strikes (73-68). Each team had a 62 percent strike percentage and got eight fly ball outs. Both teams had one runner thrown out caught stealing and turned one double play on the defensive end.
 
TWEET OF THE GAME
GAME TWO vs. AUBURN
The Highlanders came out of the gates hot with three hits in the first inning. Fisher started the game with a single to center field. Medlam followed that with another single to center field. The pair of hits put runners at first and second.
 
Douglas moved them over with a sacrifice bunt, but Fisher was thrown out at home on a suicide squeeze for the second out of the inning. The two outs were no problem for Maggie Rowe, who took a 1-2 pitch into the left center field gap. The single plated Medlam and Tapia, which gave Radford a 2-0 lead.
 
Auburn answered after Tannon Snow drove in her sister, Taylon Snow, with a two-out single up the middle.
 
Medlam led off the third with her second single of the game, but it was all for not as a 6-4-3 double play ended the Highlanders scoring chance. Radford clung tightly to a 2-1 lead until the fourth inning when pinch hitter Aspyn Godwin drove in Tannon Snow with a two-out single and tied the game at two.
 
Medlam reached base for the third time in the contest after getting aboard thanks to an error by the Tiger first baseman. However, Medlam on the base paths was short lived as she was caught up in a double play. It was Auburn's second inning-ending double play of the game.
 
It paid to be costly as Auburn took the lead via an error by Fisher at second base trying to end the inning on a double play. After the errant throw prolonged the inning, Alyssa Riveria drove in Casey McCrackin with an infield single. The run gave Auburn a 4-2 lead.
 
Destiny Freeman gave the Highlanders a chance in the sixth inning with a two-out double, but it was the last hit of the game for the team from the NRV. Auburn increased its lead with a Kendall Veach home run in the bottom of the frame. The solo home run gave the Tigers some unneeded insurance with a 5-2 score.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Freeman and Medlam went a combined 4-for-5 as each of them had two hits. Freeman was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk. Fisher and Maggie Rowe had the other two hits, with Rowe's hit being the only one that drove in runs.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
Former Radford head coach Mickey Dean faced his former team in an Auburn polo for the first time. It was also the first time he faced his former player, Hope Creasy, as a head coach.

TWEET OF THE GAME  
QUOTABLE
"As much as I don't like the outcomes of today's games, I thought we took a step in the right direction," Creasy said. "Jessie pitched another great game for us, and the defense was solid behind her in game one. Kayla is getting back into her grove and I thought we hit the ball better against Auburn. I'm excited to see what it will look like when we put all three phases of the game together."
 
UP NEXT
Radford will continue the War Eagle Challenge on Saturday at 10 a.m., against Louisville and at 12:30 p.m., against Mercer.
 
FOLLOW SOFTBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the Radford softball team follow @RadfordSoftball on Twitter and Instagram or Radford Softball on Facebook.
 
 
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