Highlanders Win School Record 34th Game

Lynchburg, Va. - Radford (34-23, 6-4 Big South) won its school record 34th game of the season with a 2-1 victory over Liberty (19-29, 4-6) in Game two to earn a split this afternoon. The Highlanders broke the previous record set by the 1996 team that finished 33-24. Liberty took the first game 1-0. With the split, Radford moves into a first place tie with Coastal Carolina and Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

In the victory, the Highlanders struck for two first inning runs and held on for the record setting victory. Freshman Ashley Taylor (Ringgold, Va.) was solid in the circle, scattering six hits and striking out eight in the six-plus innings of work. She improved to 11-10 overall and 4-1 in the Big South. Sophomore Bre Felix (Spring Valley, Calif.) earned the save, getting out of a second and third no-out jam in the seventh.

Sarah Swor was the tough luck loser, allowing just those two first inning hits. She struck out three and walked one. Cassie Campbell finished the game 3-for-3 with a run scored for the Flames.

Senior Ashley Smith (Roanoke, Va.) and junior Amanda Walling (Summerville, S.C.) recorded RBI singles off of LU’s Sarah Swor to take a 2-0 lead in the first. Walling’s hit would be the last baserunner for RU as Swor retired the final 19 batters of the game. Smith’s RBI moved to within one of tying the career record of 120.

LU’s run came in the second on a two-out run-scoring single by Erika Rasmussen, cutting the lead to 2-1.

The Lady Flames threatened in the seventh. After McKain led of with a single, Felix came in to relieve Taylor. The next hitter, Campbell blooped a single to center, moving pinch runner Leanne Long to third and reaching second on the throw. Felix settled down, striking out pinch hitter R Love for the first out.

On the next play, Erika Rasmussen was unable to get a suicide squeeze bunt down, forcing a charging Long back to third base where Amanda Walling’s throw to the bag sailed into left field, Long, attempting to get score the tying run, was thrown out by leftfielder Ashley Carlson (Chesapeake, Va.) who backed up the play perfectly. Rasmussen would then ground out to end the game.

Game one was a pitcher’s dual between Felix and LU’s Tera Lowe. Ashley Williams home run in the first was all the Flames needed for the 1-0 victory. Felix (22-11) allowed just two hits and struck out 10, while walking zero batters. Lowe (9-11) gave up three hits, struck out two and also did not walk a batter. At one point during the game, Felix retired 16 consecutive batter after the Williams homer. Jessica Moore double off the third base bag for LU’s only other hit.

Walling, along with seniors Lara Wohlgemuth (Centreville, Va.) and Sara Beth Clayton (Chesapeake, Va.) singled for the Highlanders. It was only the fifth time this season that RU has been shutout.

Radford returns to action on Sunday when it faces Birmingham-Southern at 1 pm CST. It will be the final Conference doubleheader for both teams.