Highlanders Defeat Longwood and UNCW, Fall to ECU at Lancer Classic

Felix Ties Strikeout Record vs. Seahawks

Farmville, Va. - Radford (25-18) went 2-1 on the first day of the Lancer Classic. The Highlanders pounded out 29 leading them to victories over host Longwood, 7-6 in eight innings, and UNC Wilmington, 10-0 in their first two games. In RU’s third game, the Highlanders managed just four hits as they fell to East Carolina, 3-0.

The loss to the Pirates snapped a five-game winning streak and it was the first time Radford was shutout in 15 games (3/12/05 vs. Florida State). The Highlanders will face the winner of the Longwood vs. UNC Wilmington game in the #2 vs. #3 game at 1 pm. Should the Highlanders win, they will play the winner of the #1 vs. #4 game following their first game.

In game one, freshman Shelby Rector (Virginia Beach, Va.) stroked the game-winning single in the bottom of the eighthto give Radford a 7-6 victory over the host Lancers. The Highlanders trailed 6-5 entering the bottom of the eighth, but Longwood’s thirdbaseman overthrew first on a sacrifice attempt by senior Sara Beth Clayton (Chesapeake, Va.), allowing freshman Cassie Rhodes (Goode, Va.) to score from second with the tying run. Rector then stepped up and lined the first pitch she saw to left field give RU the victory.

The Highlanders jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first as freshman Ashley Taylor (Ringgold, Va.) hit a three-run home run to right center. Four batters later, Clayton singled home junior Danielle Tompkins (Equality, Ill.) who reached on an error.

Longwood scored a single run in the third on a RBI single by Caitlin Hooe. RU responded with a run in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by Rhodes. The Lances cut the lead to one with a three-run fifth and tied it in the seventh.

Taylor went the distance, improving to 7-6 on the season. She allowed five earned runs on six hits. She struck out four and walked one. Jen Steele (14-11) suffered up the loss, allowing four earned runs on 13 hits. Junior Amanda Walling (Summerville, S.C.) went 3-for-4, while freshman Ashley Carlson (Chesapeake, Va.), senior Ashley Smith (Roanoke, Va.) and Taylor each had two hits. Steele had two hits for the Lancers.

Breanna Felix (Spring Valley, Calif.) tied a school record with 14 strikeouts and Radford pounded out 16 hits as they blanked UNC Wilmington, 10-0 in game three. Felix (17-9) allowed just two infield hits and walked one batter for her sixth shutout this season. She struck out the side in the second, fourth and seventh innings.

Radford scored two runs in the first inning. Carlson tripled with one out and scored on a wild pitch. Smith followed with a solo home run to center field. They added a run in the third on a RBI single by senior Lara Wohlgemuth, scoring Rector who doubled and advanced to third on an error.

The Highlanders broke it open in the seventh with seven runs. Junior Morgan Nicholas (Fairfax, Va.), pinch hitting, homered to leftcenter leading off the inning. Smith singled and scored on a double by Taylor. Taylor scored on a RBI triple by Walling. Rhodes followed with a single to center scoring Walling with Tompkins scoring on an error. Rector roped an RBI single to left. The final run scored on an error by the shortstop.

Taylor and Smith each had three hits with Walling, Rector and Rhodes recording two. Jennifer Bosley suffered the loss, allowing three hits and two runs, totaling an inning of work.

East Carolina broke a scoreless deadlock with three runs in the top of the seventh to defeat Radford, 3-0 in game five. Up until the seventh Taylor and ECU’s Stephanie Hayes were locked in a pitcher’s dual. Hayes allowed just four hits and walked two batters to earn the victory. Taylor suffered the loss, giving up eight hits, four in the seventh. She struck out three and walked two.

Smith went 2-for-3 with a double with Clayton and Rector recording RU’s other two hits. Kate Manuse and Paige Baggett each had two hits for the Pirates.