Highlanders Defeat Longwood and UNCW, Fall to ECU at Lancer Classic

Felix Ties Strikeout Record vs. Seahawks

Farmville, Va. - Radford fell to East Carolina (47-13), 1-0 in the Longwood Invitational this afternoon from Lancer Field. The Highlanders defeated host Longwood, 6-1, in the semifinal to reach the championship game. Radford moved to 26-19 on the day.

The championship game was a pitcher dual between RU’s freshman Ashley Taylor (Ringgold, Va.) and ECU’s Stephanie Hayes for the second consecutive day. Taylor (7-8) allowed just four hits, struck out four and walked one batter, while Hayes (12-1) gave up just three hits.

The Pirates pushed across the lone run of the game in the fourth on an one-out RBI double by Krista Jessup. That was all Hayes would need as she retired the last 14 batters she faced. Senior Lara Wohlgemuth (Centreville, Va.), junior Danielle Tompkins (Equality, Ill.) and senior Sara Beth Clayton (Chesapeake, Va.) each single for the Highlanders.

In game one, the Highs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-out, two-run double by Clayton down the right field line. The Lancers cut it to 2-1 in the fifth on a RBI triple by Ryan Washington.

Radford put four insurance runs on the board in the bottom on the sixth. Junior Amanda Walling (Summerville, S.C.) plated the first run with a RBI ground out, followed by a run-scoring single by freshman Cassie Rhodes (Goode, Va.). Three batters later, freshman Shelby Rector lined a two-run single to left, giving the Highlanders a 6-1 advantage.

Sophomore Breanna Felix (Spring Valley, Calif.) earned the win. Felix (18-9) scattered five hits and struck out two in 5.1 innings of work. Taylor came in and earned her second save this season, giving up a hit in 1.2 innings of shutout relief. Walling finished the day 2-for-3.

Rachel Mills (7-9) suffered the loss for Longwood, giving up five earned runs on eight hits. She struck out five and walked two batters. Megan Camden had two hits for the Lancers.

Radford hosts George Washington on Wednesday, April 13 at 2 pm.