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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
AbbyPeace
Rob Simmons
10
Winner Radford RAD 1-0
2
Massachusetts UMASS 0-1
Winner
Radford RAD
1-0
10
Final
2
Massachusetts UMASS
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Radford RAD 1 0 4 0 4 0 1 10 13 3
Massachusetts UMASS 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 3

W: Cooper, Morgan (1-0) L: Bradley, Jenna (0-1)

0
Merrimack College MC 0-1
8
Winner Radford RAD 2-0
Merrimack College MC
0-1
0
Final
8
Radford RAD
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Merrimack College MC 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
Radford RAD 3 0 3 2 X 8 8 0

W: Peace, Abby (1-0) L: FORNWALT (0-1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Cooper and Peace Toss Gems as Radford Wins First Two Games of 2024 Season

STATESBORO, Ga. –The Radford softball program opened their 2024 season Friday afternoon with a pair of dominant victories over UMass (10-2) and Merrimack (8-0, five innings) thanks to some stellar pitching debuts by Morgan Cooper and Abby Peace.
 
Game 1
The Highlanders didn't wait long to get their first run of the season, only taking two batters. After Lexie Roberts doubled, Abby Wilson started her big game with a single that drove Roberts home for the 1-0 lead.

That 1-0 lead would hold for a pair of innings as Radford's offense would spark up again in the third. Thanks to Cooper dialing up some strong early innings in her collegiate debut, UMass was held scoreless until the third frame as well.

Radford dropped four runs in the third to grow their lead thanks in large part to the long ball. After Rachel Smith made it a 2-0 game with a single that scored Wilson, Kari Shedrick crushed a home run two batters later to make it a 5-0 game.

A flurry of errors in the bottom half gave UMass its first run of the game, but Cooper escaped the damage with a well-timed double play ball with the bases loaded. Cooper tossed a scoreless fourth inning allowing the offense to come up big again in the fifth.

After the first three Highlanders reached base to start the inning, a pair of force outs at the plate made it so Wilson stepped up with two outs and a huge opportunity. Wilson took full advantage, doubling to drive in three runs with two outs and make it an 8-1 Radford lead. R. Smith also doubled to score Wilson and grow the lead further to 9-1.

From there on, Radford went into cruise mode. The freshman Cooper allowed just one run over the final three innings to seal her impressive first start. Radford got one more run thanks to a passed ball in the seventh that pushed the score to its 10-2 final.
 
Game 2
The Highlanders' second game of the day went at a brisk pace finishing in just under an hour. The tone was set early as the starting pitcher Peace made quick work in the first inning.

Roberts and Wilson both picked right back up from where they left off in game two with both getting on base to lead off the bottom of the first. R. Smith cashed in as she crushed her first home run of the season, and the game, immediately giving Radford a 3-0 lead.

After scoreless second and third innings tossed by Peace, the offense continued to support her with another trio of runs in the bottom of the third. R. Smith led the inning off with her second home run of the day that made it 4-0. After Cassi Barbato doubled, she scored thanks to an error and another error allowed Emma Yates to score as well, making it 6-0.

Peace dialed up another scoreless frame allowing the offense to put Radford ahead by eight sealing the eventual run-rule win. With two outs, Barbato smacked her second double of the game, scoring Roberts and R. Smith. Peace returned to the circle in the top of the fifth and finished off the Warriors striking out the side for the 8-0 shortened win.

KEY STATS
  • Over 12 innings of work, Cooper and Peace were electric in their Radford debuts allowing just one unearned run. The duo also struck out 11 batters while surrendering just two walks.
  • Patience at the plate paid off for the Highlanders who walked eight times total today compared to their opponents walking a total of two times.
  • Four different Highlanders reached base five or more times today including Barbato, Roberts, R. Smith and Wilson.
  • R. Smith finished the day with six RBI with Wilson not far behind with four RBI.
  • In 2023 Radford had a pitcher throw seven or more strikeouts in a single game just once all year, Cooper did so in her first game of 2024 with seven strikeouts.
  • Radford's 10-2 win against UMass marked Radford's first win in a season opener since the 2019 season.
     
UP NEXT
Radford continues their weekend down at the Bash in the Boro tomorrow with another pair of games against UMass and Merrimack. Action is currently set to begin against UMass with a 10:00 a.m. first pitch.
 
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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