Highlanders Split Earn Split with Lady Chants

Game One Box
Game Two Box

CONWAY, S.C. - Behind Deanna Benner's (Glen Burnie, Md.) strong pitching performance in game one, Radford University was able to earn a split with Coastal Carolina in Big South Conference sofball action. The Lady Chanticleer won the nightcap, 4-3 in extra innings. Radford is 10-29 overall and 3-1 in the Big South Conference, while Coastal is now 16-15 overall and 1-1 Conference.

The story in the opener was all Benner (4-6). She allowed just three hits and walked one while striking out nine. While Benner was getting the job done in the pitching circle, Ashley Smith (Roanoke, Va.) gave the Highlanders all the offense they would need with a homerun, her second in two games, in the first inning. Smith also had a RBI fielders choice and Payton Nash (Woodbridge, Va.) plated the third run with a RBI single.

In game two, Radford took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Ashleigh Brooks (Virginia Beach, Va.) reached on a leadoff single and later scored on back-to-back throwing errors by Karlye Fortune and Kelli Julg.

The Lady Chanticleers tied the game at 1-1 on a RBI double by Holly Lee to score Kimberly Josephson in the fourth inning. Radford retook the lead in the fifth as Donita Brady (Virginia Beach, Va.), who had reached on an error, scored on a double by Kelly Miles (Huntington, Md.).

Coastal scored in the bottom of the fifth to again tie the score before Brooks led off the seventh inning with a solo homerun, her first of the season, to give Radford a 3-2 advantage. In the bottom of the seventh, Lee's RBI singles plated Josephson for an unearned run that kept CCU's hopes of as split alive. Danielle Jenkins scored on Schmidt's two-out single to right field to give the Lady Chants the nightcap.

Belden (6-4) picked up the victory in relief of starter Lauren Yates as she allowed no hits and struck out three over the final two innings. Benner (4-7) took the loss in relief, allowing two unearned runs on five hits in 2.2 innings of work. RU's starter Brandy Winstead (Nashville, N.C) went the first five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and struck out five.

Josephson went 3-for-4 in game two, while Lee was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI to lead Coastal Carolina. Brooks went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and a RBI and Stephanie Adams (Pasadena, Md.) to pace the Highlanders.

The Highlanders will travel to Elon on April 11 for a Conference doubleheader with the Phoenix at 3 p.m.