March 29, 2007
GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
RADFORD, Va.-- Longwood University softball was unable to hang on to a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning in game two, as Radford brought in three runs en route to the 4-2 game two win over Longwood. The Highlanders (25-16) handed the Lancers (10-12) a 2-1 game loss Thursday afternoon to earn the doubleheader sweep. Longwood will return to action on Sunday, April 1, when they host Hampton in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Lancer Field.
In game one, Radford took an early 1-0 lead after Ashley Taylor hit a solo homerun to lead-off the second inning for the Highlanders. The Lancers answered right back in the top of the third inning, scoring a run on two Radford errors to knot the game at one. Catelyn Slagle/Chesapeake (Greenbrier Christian Academy) reached first base on an error by the Highlanders’ shortstop and moved to second on a single one batter later from Kristina Garrison/Alexandria (Mount Vernon) to put runners at first and second with one out. Slagle was able to come in on a fielding error a short time later to tie the game at one.
Ashley Forsyth/Freehold, N.J. (Freehold) came in in relief for Rachel Mills/Quinton (New Kent County) in the bottom of third, as Mills finished the afternoon with one run on two hits in two innings of play.
The Highlanders went ahead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Alex Roderick. Longwood was unable to bring in the equalizer falling 2-1 in game one. Forsyth pitched four innings and sacrificed one run on four hits while fanning two batters. Taylor was strong in the circle for Radford, going the distance allowing one run on three hits and struck out nine in the Radford win.
The Lancers got going early in the second game as Caitlin Hooe/Richmond (Douglas Freeman) started the game on a triple to right field and came in three batters later on a single to left field by Emily Radford/Tacoma, Wash. (Fife) giving the Lancers the early 1-0 lead.
Longwood padded their lead to two runs in the third after Hooe drew a lead-off walk and Camille Ketsdever/Irvine, Calif. (Irvine) followed with an infield single to put runners at first and second with no one out. Hooe and Ketsdever each moved up a base on a fly ball to center field by Ryan Washington/Bealeton (Liberty) putting them each in scoring position with one down. Radford collected her second RBI of the game, laying down a bunt to score Hooe from third for the 2-0 lead after two and a half innings of play.
The Highlanders were able to cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the third, as Jenn Everhart hit a lead-off homerun over the left field fence for Radford’s first run of the game. Radford’s bats came alive in the fourth inning, as the Highlanders sent two long balls over the outfield fences to build a 4-2 lead. Roderick knotted the game at two on a solo homerun in the lead-off position and Everhart came up and tagged her second homerun of the game, to bring in Ashley Carlson at third for the 4-2 lead after four innings played. The fourth inning was it for Forsyth as the freshman hurler finished with four runs on seven hits while striking out two. Forsyth was relieved by Slagle in the circle, but remained in the game in the Lancers’ line-up.
Slagle came in and pitched strong allowing only one hit and striking out two in two innings of work, but the Lancers could not get the bats going in the final innings falling 4-2. Hooe had a strong performance in game two, going 1-3 with two runs scored while Radford also went 1-2 with two RBI in the contest.
