Radford Outlasts Softball Saturday Morning in 10 Innings, 6-5

Saturday, February 24

Macon, Ga.

9:30 a.m.

Drexel University

0-3

Radford

9-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
DREXEL	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	1	5	7	0
Radford	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	2	6	7	1

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Radford Outlasts Softball Saturday Morning in 10 Innings, 6-5

2/24/2018 12:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

MACON, Ga. – Two bases-loaded walks in the bottom of the 10th inning doomed the Drexel softball team Saturday morning as Radford went on to a 6-5 victory on Sikes Field. The Dragons close out the Mercer Black and Orange Challenge with two games against Akron, one this afternoon and one tomorrow morning.

With the score tied 1-1 after seven, a wild eighth inning where both teams score three runs sent the game forward and into the 10th tied, 4-4. The Dragons struck first in the 10th with a successful sacrifice squeeze to take the lead. However, Radford held strong and took advantage of the new Drexel pitcher in the bottom half, loading the bases and scoring the game-tying and -winning runs off walks.

In the top of the 10th inning, Taylor Kent began the frame on second and advanced to third on a groundout by Jenelle Ladrido. Up came freshman Elena Woulfe, whose sacrifice squeeze plated Ladrido to give the Dragons the lead. Woulfe ended up reaching first on the play with the throw going to the plate, then advanced to second on a groundout and to third on a wild pitch. That would be as far as she would get, though, and the Dragons would have to settle for a one-run leading heading into the bottom half.

Head coach Carl Taylor sent out Brooklyn Daly to pitch in place of Devon Grippe, who started the game and went the first nine. The Highlanders quickly got runners on first and second after a hit-by-pitch, but the Dragons got one out with on a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runners. Despite the out, Daly could not find a rhythm, walking the bases loaded before walking in the game-tying and -winning runs over the next three batters.

Radford scored first in the contest with a solo shot to left-center field off the bat of leadoff hitter Marissa Gagliano, who went 2 for 3 and scored three runs, in the third. Trailing, 1-0, heading into the sixth inning, the Dragons promptly tied the game at 1-1 as freshman first baseman Kristi DiMeo launched a solo homer to left. Neither team threatened in the seventh, sending the game into the eighth all tied up.

In the eighth, Drexel opened the inning with a three-spot. DiMeo opened the inning with an RBI double, scoring Woulfe. The next batter, Taylor Lee, swatted her first home run of the season, a two-run shot to put the Dragons up, 4-1. In the bottom half, Radford quickly found itself with two runners on. After a flyout and groundout, Talia Douglas, who went 3 for 4, knocked a two-out, two-run double to left-center before Maggie Rowe hit Douglas in with a single in the next at-bat. That tied the game at 4-4 and sent it into the 10th, where Radford came out with the 6-5 win.

Grippe tossed nine innings, giving up three earned on seven hits and a walk. Daly took the loss for the Dragons. Abby Morrow got the win for Radford, pitching 2 2/3 innings and giving up one unearned run.