Winthrop Takes Two From Highlanders

Radford, Va. --Winthrop scored a single run in the sixth and seventh innings to come-from-behind and defeat Radford, 3-2 in game two, earning them a sweep in a key Big South Conference softball doubleheader from Dedmon Center Field. The Eagles (36-20-1, 6-4 Big South) won game one 4-2 and with the sweep move into second in the Conference standing, one game ahead Coastal Carolina. The Highlanders fall to 27-30 overall and 4-6 in the Conference and now sit in three-way tie with Liberty and Birmingham-Southern.

In game one, Winthrop posted an early run as Janiva Willis led off the game with a home run to left center. Radford tied it up in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out RBI single by Kat Peck (Manassas, Va./Young Harris JC), knocking in Lindsay Woody (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck), who reached on an error. The single by Peck extended her hitting streak to eight games.

The Eagles took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the third on a two-out two-run single by Lindsey Merriman. They added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Willis led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. Kjersti Johnson doubled her home to make it 4-1.

Radford cut it to 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to finish the rally. Ashley Smith (Roanoke, Va./Northside) led off with a double and scored with two out when Winthrop’s second baseman threw over the first baseman’s head, allowing her to score. Lara Wohlgemuth (Centreville, Va./Chantilly) reached second on the error, but Woody grounded out to end the threat.

Kelly Johnson improved to 19-7 with the win. She gave up hits and zero earned runs, striking out five and walking one. Peck, who went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, suffered the loss to fall to 6-8. She gave up nine, struck out six and walked four. Willis finished 2-for-3 with three runs with Kjersti Johnson went 2-for-4 for the Eagles.

In game two, Radford struck for a run in the bottom of the first. Wohlgemuth led off with a single and stole second. She advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Sara Beth Clayton’s (Chesapeake, Va./Louisburg College) double down the leftfield line.

The Eagles tied the game in the top of the third. Shahna Ashard reached on a one-out double and moved to third on a wild pitch. With two out, Janiva Willis doubled her home, evening the game at one. Radford regained the lead in the bottom of the third on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Clayton.

Winthrop tied it again in the sixth. Caryn Little reach on an error to lead off the inning. After being sacrificed to second by Willis, she crossed the plated on a run-scoring single by Katie Kipisz. Ashard helped herself out in the top of the seventh with the game-winning two-out RBI single with through the left side of the infield for a 3-2 lead.

Ashard (12-6) picked up the win, allowing six hits, striking out five and walking one. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and RBI. Breanna Felix (Spring Valley, Calif./Mount Miguel) suffered the defeat, giving up two earned runs on five hits. She struck out three and did not walk a batter. Wohlgemuth went 2-for-3 and Clayton finished 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI for the Highlanders.

Radford hits the road on Wednesday when they face James Madison in their final non-conference tilt at 3 p.m. They will wrap up the regular season with an important Big South twinbill at home against Liberty on Saturday. The Eagles are off until May 8 when they travel to Charleston Southern for their final Conference games of the regular season.

Game One Box
Game Two Box