Record Breaking Day as Highlanders Cruise to Sweep Over Charleston Southern

Felix Breaks Single-Season Win Record; RU Breaks Single-Season Home Run Record
Wohlgemuth ties Career Walk Record in Game Two

Radford, Va. - Radford (32-21, 4-2 Big South) pounded out 23 hits and reached its second-highest win total in school history as it cruised to a sweep over Charleston Southern (19-39, 1-7) in Big South Softball action from Dedmon Center Field. In game one, sophomore Breanna Felix (Spring Valley, Calif.) set the single-season win record with her 21st and RU broke the single-season homerun record with its 28th.

Senior Ashley Smith (Roanoke, Va.) and junior Amanda Walling (Summerville, S.C.) combined to go 11-for-13 with 7 RBI to help RU to 9-1 and 13-0 five inning victories. Radford pitchers combined to give up just five hits in the two games.

Game One

Game Two

In game one, the Highlanders broke a 1-1 deadlock with a seven-run third inning that was highlighted by Smith’s two run home run that broke the single-season team record. Smith and Walling each went 3-for-3 in the game. Felix allowed a run on two hits and struck out four as she improved to 21-10.

RU scored a run in the first with a two-out rally. Smith started the rally with an infield single to short. After freshman Ashley Taylor (Ringgold, Va.) walked, Walling singled up the middle. On the play, Smith scored when shortstop Jacqui Mines made poor throw. Mines would make up for her miscue when she homered to left with one out in the second.

The Highlanders put the game away with their seven-run third. Smith put RU up 3-1 when she roped a roundtripper to leftfield. With runners on second and third, junior Danielle Tompkins (Equality, Ill.) single through the left side scoring Walling. Taylor would score when she beat the throw home on a grounder to short. A passed ball allowed Tompkins to scoot home, followed by a run-scoring triple by senior Sara Beth Clayton (Chesapeake, Va.). Freshman Cassie Rhodes (Goode, Va.) made it 8-1 with a line single to left.

Radford added one more in the fourth on a RBI single by Walling, scoring pinch runner sophomore Michelle Carlson (Chesapeake, Va.), who was running for Taylor who walked for the third straight at bat.

Amanda Noble (7-17) suffered the loss for CSU, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits. She struck out one and walked three. Noble recorded the Lady Bucs only other hit, a single in the third inning.

Game two saw the Highlanders explode for nine runs on nine hits as they sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning in their 13-0 victory. It was a season high runs for Radford. For the game, RU had 14 hits led by Smith and freshman Ashley Carlson (Chesapeake, Va.) who each had three for the game. Carlson also scored three runs.

Senior Lara Wohlgemuth (Centreville, Va.) led off game two with a walk, her 66th of her career, tying RU’s all-time record. Carlson and Smith recorded infield singles to load the bases. Taylor knocked in the first run with a sac fly to center. Walling tripled to rightcenter, plating Carlson and Smith. Tompkins, knocking in Walling, freshman Shelby Rector (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Clayton singled to load the bases. After Rhodes lined to left, Wohlgemuth recorded a two-run single to right, followed by a two RBI triple to left by Carlson. Carlson scored the ninth run on Smith’s double of the centerfield fence.

Radford would score three more in the third with two outs. Carlson scored when the rightfielder’s throw to the infield hit Smith a rolled into foul territory. Taylor would double off the centerfield fence to chase Smith home and she would score on a Walling single to right.

The Highlanders closed out the scoring in the fourth on a RBI triple down the leftfield line by Wohlgemuth. Wohlgemuth finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Taylor picked up the win for RU tossing four innings of shutout ball. She allowed two hits and struck out four, while not walking a batter. Freshman Ali Carter (Forest, Va.) pitched the fifth inning, giving up a hit.

Whtiney James suffered the loss for CSU. She allowed nine runs on nine hits, walking a batter in one inning of work. Noble tossed three innings of relief, allowing four runs on five hits. She struck out three and walked three. Jennifer Brooks, Dorothy Page and Noble single for the Lady Bucs.

Radford will host Coastal Carolina tomorrow at 1 pm. The Highlanders will honor their three seniors in a ceremony in between games.