Felix and Taylor Toss Three-Hit Shutouts in Sweep of Panthers
Highlanders Move into First Place

Birmingham, Ala. - Radford (36-23, 8-4 Big South) received a pair of complete game shutouts from sophomore Bre Felix (Spring Valley, Calif.) and freshman Ashley Taylor (Ringgold, Va.) and used a big inning in each game to sweep Birmingham-Southern (24-30, 5-7 BSC) this afternoon from BSC Softball Park.

With the victories, the Highlanders move into first place in the Conference and assure themselves of finishing no lower than a tie for second place in the Conference.

RU, victorious in 10 of their last 13 games, won by the scores of 8-0 in five innings and 7-0. Felix and Taylor combined to strikeout 13 batters and allow just six hits. Radford which was held to just five hits on Wednesday at Liberty recorded eight hits in each game.

Game One
Game Two

Behind a five-run second inning and solid performance in the circle from Felix, Radford softball blanked Birmingham-Southern, 8-0 in five innings, in game one.

Felix struck out five, allowed three hits and walked a batter. She moved to 23-11 overall and 3-3 in the Big South and registered her seventh complete game shutout of the season.

Radford, recording three hits in the second, also took advantage of three Panther errors to break open a 1-0 game. Junior Danielle Tompkins (Equality, Ill.) led off with a single. After a failed sacrifice, senior Sara Beth Clayton (Chesapeake, Va.) singled to put runners on first and second. An error by the pitcher on the next play, allowed pinch runner Casey Marin (Campobello, S.C.) to score and put runners on second and third. Senior Lara Wohlgemuth (Centreville, Va.) reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Clayton. Freshman Ashley Carlson (Chesapeake, Va.) singled through short and third to plate freshman Cassie Rhodes (Goode, Va.). The Highlanders scored two more runs on next play, when both the second baseman and centerfielder made errors.

The Highlanders scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings. Taylor contributed with a two-out RBI double to put RU up 1-0 in the first. In the third, Rhodes singled with one out to drive in Tompkins from second. Tompkins knocked in the eighth run with a sac fly, scoring junior Amanda Walling (Summerville, S.C.), who tripled to lead off the fifth.

Eight different Highlanders recorded one hit and scored one run, with five different players knocking in a single run.

Owens, Nikki Rombough and Tifani Talbert each had a hit for the Panthers. Kristina Villavicencio suffered the loss, allowing five earned runs on eight hits. She struck out two and walk two as she dropped to 16-14 overall.

In game two, Radford, after being held to just one hit through four innings, scored all seven of their runs on five hits and three BSC errors in the fifth inning, cruising to the victory. Taylor (12-10, 5-1 Big South) allowed just three hits, striking out eight and not walking a batter.

Freshman Shelby Rector (Virginia Beach, Va.) started the seven-run fifth with a single. After Clayton moved pinch runner sophomore Michelle Carlson (Chesapeake, Va.) to second with a sac bunt, Rhodes singled to center. On the play, a wild throw by the centerfielder allowed Carlson to scoot home and Rhodes to move to third. Rhodes scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Ashley Carlson and senior Ashley Smith reach on an error that put Carlson on second.

Taylor helped her cause with a RBI single through the left side, followed by a run-scoring single from her battery mate Walling. Tompkins stepped to the plate and roped a two-run double to left center. She closed out the scoring, crossing the plate on a throwing error by the shortstop on a grounder by Michelle Carlson.

Walling went 2-for-3 with six other Highs registering one hit. Rombough, Jennifer Wellborn and Talbert recorded a hit each for BSC. Erin Haggard suffered the loss, giving up seven runs, four earned, on six hits in 4.2 innings of work. Dawn Treadwell tossed 2.1 innings of shutout relief, walking two and striking out two.

The Highlanders are finished with Big South play and await the results from next weekend's contests involving Winthrop and Coastal Carolina to see where they will finish in the Conference.

Radford will close out its regular season on Friday, May 6 when it host Campbell in a doubleheader that starts at 3 pm.