Bucs make their first trip to Radford since 2007 Wednesday

RADFORD, Va. (March 29, 2016) – The ETSU softball team will hit the road for a non-conference doubleheader at Radford Wednesday. This will be the Bucs’ first trip to Radford since the 2007 season. The twin bill is scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m.

Bullets on the Bucs

• ETSU won the series finale Saturday against Western Carolina after dropping the first two games. The Bucs’ victory Saturday was in dramatic fashion as Madison Boyd (Chattanooga, Tenn.) launched a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to give ETSU the 8-7 win. It was the first walk-off home run for ETSU since March 30, 2014 when Mykeah Johnson (Cohutta, Ga.) hit a solo shot to defeat Northern Kentucky.
• With her victory in the circle Saturday, Taylor Carter (Brazil, Ind.) tallied her 20^th victory in a Buccaneer uniform. Carter’s 20 victories are tied for the fifth-most in program history, while her 19 home runs are tied for fourth in the ETSU record books. Carter is the only player to rank in the top five in both categories.
• Sophomore Kelsey Smith (Tucson, Ariz.) smacked a pair of home runs against Western Carolina last weekend to give her 15 for her ETSU career. Smith’s 15 round-trippers is the third-most ever by a Buc in a two-year span. Only Jackie Baird (20 in 2013-14) and Stephanie Gaynord (18 in 2006-07) have had better two-year stretches than Smith.

Bucs by the numbers

.238 – In two seasons in a Buccaneer uniform, junior Lindsey Fadnek (Coalfield, Tenn.) has held opponents to a batting average of .238. That is the third lowest batting average against of any pitcher in ETSU history with a minimum of 50 innings pitched.   

13 – Of their 20 games this season, the Bucs have held the lead in 13 of those contests. Additionally, when the Bucs get the lead in the fifth inning or later, they are 7-1.  

3.47 – The Bucs’ pitching staff currently holds a team ERA of 3.47. The 3.47 ERA not only ranks fourth in the SoCon but also is nearly two full runs lower than last year’s team ERA of 5.45.    

Scouting the Opponent

The Highlanders have already surpassed their win total of last season (12) with a record of 18-10 in 2016. Radford is a team built on speed as it is actually being out-homered this spring, 17-16. Nia Chiles and Marissa Gagilano set the table for Radford’s offense hitting .359 and .347, respectively. Chiles and Gagilano are also a threat on the base paths with 29 stolen bases combined between them.

In the circle, Radford has been stellar as well with a team ERA of 2.86. Abbey Morrow paces Radford’s pitchers with a 10-6 record and a 2.50 ERA in 98 innings. Kayla Huffman has also chipped in five victories in 55 innings and holds an ERA of 2.66.

Series Histories vs. Opponent

Radford leads the all-time series against ETSU 16-8. The two teams matched up for four games last season in Johnson City and they split the four contests.

Following options for this weekend

Both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader will have live stats and video available. The links can be found on the Bucs’ schedule page. Fans can also follow @ETSUSoftball on Twitter for in-game updates.

FOLLOW THE BUCS

• Receive live game updates and behind-the-scenes access of ETSU Softball by following @ETSUSoftball on Twitter or ETSU Softball on Facebook
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