Highlanders Bow Out on Day Two of BSC Tournament
Brooks Becomes RU's All-Time Walk Leader

Liberty Box
Winthrop Box

Rock Hill, S.C. - After pounding out 27 hits yesterday, the Highlanders managed only five and six hits respectively as they dropped 2-1 and 4-2 decisions to Liberty and Winthrop on the second day of the Big South Softball Tournament. It marks the first time the Highlanders have lost to the Lady Flames in the tournament. It also is the fourth loss to LU this season.

Radford ends the season at 18-41. Amber Drexel and Donita Brady led the Highlanders offensively batting .615 (8-13) and .529 (9-17). Defensively Ashleigh Brooks was perfect in the field on 25 attempts in the four games, while batting .308 with a team-high five runs.

Brooks also set a new Radford career record with her 66th walk against Liberty. She ended this season with 25 a new single-season school record.

After three scoreless innings in game one, the Lady Flames jumped out to 1-0 lead on Lauren Hahn's second homerun of the tournament. Radford evened things up with two outs in the fifth when Brady scored from second on some heads up base running. She scored when Liberty second baseman Tiffany Carp's throw pulled the first baseman off the bag on Ashley Smith's ground ball up the middle.

The Lady Flames regained the lead, 2-1, when Mary Beth Kennel scored from second on Amanda Goc's single after Smith bobbled the ball in center.

Hurley picked up the win for Liberty allowing an unearned run on five hits and striking out three in 5.2 innings of work. Ali Thompson earned the save with an inning and a third of hitless relief. Deana Benner suffered the complete game loss, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out four.

Against Winthrop, the Highlanders grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first. Payton Nash's RBI single down the right field line scored Ashley Smith from second base with two outs. The Lady Eagles tied things up in the third on an RBI single by Kelly Johnson off the first base bag.

Winthrop broke the 1-1 tie with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. With two outs, a single and a walk put runners on first and second. Katie Agee then delivered a run-scoring single to center and Janiva Willis would score when the throw from center eluded the catcher.

Radford cut the lead to 3-2 on a sacrifice fly by Nash in the bottom of the fifth. The Lady Eagles put one more run on the board in the seventh on a RBI triple by Willis for the final tally.

Benner suffered the loss, falling to 10-13 on the season, while Johnson picked up the win improving to 21-13.