RADFORD, Va. – The Lafayette softball squad finished off the Radford Invitational with setbacks in both halves of a Saturday doubleheader. East Tennessee State and Radford combined to score eight runs in the first innings, leading to 7-4 and 9-2 finals.
In game one, Leopard starter
Sophia Alvarez-Backus walked two and then gave up three singles, allowing the Buccaneers to take a 3-0 lead at the end of one. ETSU followed with three more runs on three hits, including a two-run single from Whitney Boone, in the second for a 6-0 lead.
Lafayette broke through for a couple of runs in the second inning.
Caroline Hall's two-run double down the line in shallow right did the trick to make it 6-2. The Leopards added two more in the fifth.
Kylee Sweet went down in the zone and blasted a two-run homer to deep centerfield to leave the final at 7-4.
Alvarez-Backus allowed six runs on six hits over two innings in the loss.
Parker Rowden turned in five solid innings of relief while giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts. Catlin Pennington, who handled five innings, collected the circle victory after surrendering two runs on five hits.
In the nightcap, Bog South Conference preseason favorite Radford batted around its order in the bottom of the first to push across five runs on three hits for a 5-0 advantage. Amber Wolfe contributed a two-run homer in the rally.
In the top of the second, Lafayette responded with its own two-run home run. Leopard starting pitcher
Marisa Powell lifted a pitch over the wall in left centerfield to score
Maggie Klug and pull the Leopards within three.
The hosts added three insurance runs on five hits in the fifth inning and one more run in the sixth to close out the 9-2 final.
Powell was handed the loss, as she gave up two earned runs on three hits in one inning of work.
Jordan Goedel and
Andy Hegarty tossed the final five frames. Morgan Cooper turned in a solid performance in the win, scattering two runs on three hits in a complete-game effort. She did not allow a hit after Powell's two-run homer in the second inning.
Lafayette will play road doubleheaders on Tuesday (George Mason) and Wednesday (Georgetown), during spring break week with first pitch slated for 2 p.m. each day.
