Beall’s Big Day Lifts Radford Softball Over Delaware, 9-0 in Six Innings
March 20, 2011
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
• Boxscore
BOTETOURT, Va. -- Radford second baseman Nichole Beall finished 4 for 4 with five runs batted in to lead the Highlanders softball team to a 9-0 six-inning victory over the University of Delaware as the teams wrapped up action at the Radford Invitational Sunday afternoon.
The Highlanders (18-10) wasted little time in taking the lead, as Kristen Shifflett led off the game with a single to center and quickly scored when Hannah Ojeda followed with a double to center. Beall then doubled to center, driving home Ojeda as Radford took an early 2-0 lead.
In the third inning Lauren Williams walked and Shifflett singled up the middle to open the frame, and one out later Beall stroked a two-run double to right center to make it a 4-0 game.
Radford looked to rally again during the top of the fourth, as leadoff walks to Meredith Moore and Shannon Keefe spelled the end of the day for Blue Hen starting pitcher Amanda Stacevicz, who was replaced in the circle by Anne Marie Pagano. However the Blue Hen senior righthander promptly retired the next three batters she faced to escape the jam.
However Beall drilled a solo homer with one out in the fifth to give the Highlanders a five-run cushion.
Delaware (7-16) attempted to get back in the game during the bottom of the fifth, when Michelle Grap (at right) led off with a single to left and Brittney Noons followed with an infield single. However after Rachel Jones moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, Radford pitcher Jackie Jenkins got Bertie Lake to fly out to right and Jenny Richards to line out to third to keep the Blue Hens off the board.
In the top of the sixth, after Keefe and Jessie Hutchens each singled, Shifflett lined a two-run double down the left field line as Radford increased its margin to seven. One out later Beall legged out an infield single, while Shifflett came around to score the eighth run of the contest. Vicki Madden then delivered an RBI single to left, chasing home Beall to close the scoring.
Jenkins improved to 7-0 on the season with her six-hit shutout, striking out three Blue Hens while not walking a batter. Stacevicz dropped to 4-6 for UD after allowing four earned runs on five hits in three innings of work, while Pagano was charged with five earned runs on six hits in three frames of relief.
Grap led the way offensively for Delaware by finishing 2 for 3 while Richards, Stacevicz, Lara Andrews and Noons added a single apiece. Stacevicz was selected to the All-Tournament team following the conclusion of the invitational.
The Blue Hens will look to snap their five-game losing streak on Wednesday when they travel to Delaware State for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader with the Hornets.
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