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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
MorganCooper
Rob Simmons
1
Radford RAD 12-12
7
Winner USC Upstate UPST 10-12
Radford RAD
12-12
1
Final
7
USC Upstate UPST
10-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Radford RAD 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 2
USC Upstate UPST 1 0 1 0 0 5 X 7 8 0

W: MANESS, S. (5-6) L: Peace, Abby (2-3)

6
Winner Radford RAD 13-12
3
USC Upstate UPST 10-13
Winner
Radford RAD
13-12
6
Final
3
USC Upstate UPST
10-13
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Radford RAD 0 2 0 0 0 2 2 6 7 1
USC Upstate UPST 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 5 4

W: Cooper, Morgan (4-6) L: DRERUP, M. (3-5)

Game Recap: Softball |

Resilience Highlights Radford’s Doubleheader Split in Conference Opener at USC Upstate

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –The Radford softball program showed resilience to force a doubleheader split in their conference opener Saturday afternoon at USC Upstate. After falling in the first game 7-1, the second game was tight late until the offense broke through for a 6-3 win.
 
Game 1
In the first contest of the doubleheader miscues would put the Highlanders down early. The Spartans loaded the bases in each of the first three innings but had just two hits as errors and walks crowded the base paths. Despite that, starting pitcher Abby Peace was able to keep USC Upstate at arm's reach giving up just two runs.

Lexie Roberts had the Highlanders first hit of the evening with two outs in the third, but the deficit would stick to 2-0 after three innings of work. Two straight hits by Cassi Barbato and Abby Bossler led off the fourth inning, but the duo was stranded in scoring position with two outs.

USC Upstate loaded the bases once again in the fourth this time with a hit, walk and hit by pitch. Peace navigated through trouble, though, inducing a pop out to end the threat. A pair of walks had Radford threatening in the sixth, but the hits weren't falling as the team remained scoreless.

After a clean fifth, the Spartans broke through in the sixth using the long ball slugging three home runs to give themselves a 7-0 lead. Freshman Amber Wolfe would respond with her first collegiate homer in the top of the seventh, but that would be all the offense got in the 7-1 final.
 
Game 2
Radford rebounded in a big way in the second game of the doubleheader using a strong pitching performance from Morgan Cooper and a consistent offensive attack. The freshman Cooper got the starting nod and quickly set the tone retiring six of the first seven batters she faced.

In the top of the second, Radford's offense broke through to give Cooper the lead. After Rachel Smith singled to begin the inning, Kari Shedrick followed her with a home run that put Radford on top 2-0.

In the third, R. Smith would get on base again drawing a walk and swiping second. With two outs already, the Highlanders wouldn't add to their lead. The Spartans got their first runner in scoring position in the third through a similar walk and stolen base, but Cooper ended the threat to keep the 2-0 lead.

After a quiet offensive half of the fourth, the Spartans struck back at the Highlanders for a pair of runs that would tie the game. After two straight hits and a sacrifice bunt, a groundout made it a 2-1 game. With two outs in the inning, a costly error allowed another Spartan to score and tie the game. Cooper would end the inning on the next batter, however, preserving the tie.

After a quiet fifth for both sides, it was Radford who would take advantage of miscues in the sixth. Wolfe led things off with a walk and Grace Bechtol took over for her on the basepaths. An error put two runners on for Radford and a sacrifice bunt by Emily Smith moved both into scoring position.

Roberts was able to get the sacrifice fly that scored Bechtol for a 3-2 lead, but Radford capitalized off an errant throw allowing Shedrick to cross home and make it a 4-2 advantage.  USC Upstate got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, but Cooper stranded another runner in scoring position to keep the lead.

Radford began the seventh with Cassi Barbato drawing a walk and Amanda Lee reaching thanks to an error. R. Smith stepped for yet another two-run strike by the Highlanders as she struck a hit past the drawn-in defense to double in both Barbato and Lee for the 6-3 lead.

Cooper was lights out in the bottom of the inning securing the 6-3 victory for Radford, their first in the conference schedule. The win was also Radford's first true road win of the season in six tries. It's also Radford's second-ever victory in Spartanburg, S.C. with the team last coming out with a win in 2021.

UP NEXT
The Highlanders close out the weekend series against USC Upstate in the deciding game of the series tomorrow morning with an 11 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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