Highlanders Split with TAMUCC in Big South Opener

Rock Hill, S.C. - Radford (18-14, 1-1 Big South) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (27-5, 5-3) split this afternoon from Terry Field at the Winthrop Softball Complex. The Islanders won game one 4-2, while the Highlanders took game two, 5-1.

TAMUCC used the long ball in game one, hitting four solo home runs, two by Megan Hansen, leading the Islanders to a 4-2 victory over the Highlanders. Sarah Pauly improved to 22-2 on the season as she allowed an earned run on two hits. She struck out 11 and hit one batter. Sophomore Breanna Felix (Spring Valley, Calif.) suffered the loss for Radford, falling to 13-8. She gave up seven hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Game 1 Box

Megan Hansen opened the scoring in the first, belting a round tripper to left center to give TAMUCC an early 1-0 lead. The Islanders added two more in the second on back-to-back solo home runs to lead off the inning by Jennifer Golden and Shannon Stein.

Junior Amanda Walling (Summerville, S.C.) put RU on the board in the top of the third with her first collegiate home run. The Highlanders cut it to 3-2 in the fifth on a throwing error by thirdbaseman Brenda Guerrero.

After a leadoff hit-by-pitch by junior Danielle Tompkins (Equality, Ill.), Guerroro overthrew first base on a sac bunt allowing Tompkins to score from first and junior Morgan Nicholas (Fairfax, Va.) to reach third. RU was unable to tie the game as Pauly retired the next three batters on a strikeout, popup and flyout.

Golden added an insurance run in the sixth with her second long ball of the day, a line drive over the right centerfield fence. Golden, along with Stein and Michelle Petree each had two hits.

In game two, senior Ashley Smith (Roanoke, Va.) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI as Radford defeated TAMUCC, 5-1 to earn a split. Freshman Ashley Taylor (Ringgold, Va.) went the distances, scattering seven hits and striking out to even her record at 4-4.

Game 2 Box

Radford struck for the first run of the game in the second, as senior Sara Beth Clayton (Chesapeake, Va.) roped a two-out double down the leftfield line, scoring Tompkins who walked prior to Clayton’s at bat. The Highs added two more in the third on a two-out two run homer by Smith.

The Highlanders made it 4-0 in the fifth courtesy of a one-out RBI double by Smith, scoring freshman Ashley Carlson (Chesapeake, Va.) from first. The Islander posted a run in the bottom half of the inning when Nekkia Neash drew a two-out bases loaded walk. Walling provided the Highlanders with an insurance run in seventh, hitting her second home run of the day off of Pauly, had only given up two round trippers on the season, to give RU a 5-1 lead.

Walling finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored. For TAMUCC, Hansen went 2-for-3. Cumming suffered the loss, allowing four runs on six hits. She struck out four and walked two. Pauly struck out three in 2.2 innings of relief.

Radford returns home tomorrow at 2 pm to face UNC Greensboro. The Islanders close out their trip to Rock Hill, when they face Coastal Carolina at 3 pm.