Box Score RADFORD, Va. - East Tennessee State softball dropped the first contest of the 2026 Radford Invitational on Friday afternoon.  The Bucs (11-7, 0-0 SoCon) fell to the Lafayette Leopards (6-14, 0-0 Patriot league) 4-5 in nine innings at the Radford Softball Complex.

NOTABLES (L, 4-5 vs. Lafayette)
How It Happened:
After a scoreless first four frames, Lafayette made the first offensive move with a run in the top of the fifth, tacking on a second in the top of the sixth for a 2-0 advantage.  ETSU rallied in the bottom of the sixth with two runs.  Boone singled and was followed by a Suchy walk.  The pair then advanced on a pass ball and Boone scored on a fielder's choice from Brandon.  Porter then boasted her first career RBI double and advanced to third on the throw to score the first game-tying run for the Bucs on the day.  ETSU and Lafayette continued on to trade runs into extra innings.  In the bottom of the seventh, the Bucs tied it up after Rieger reached from a single and was driven home by a Taylor single on a Lafayette error.  In the bottom of the eighth, Boone, the runner placed on second, scored after a single from Suchy advanced her to third and a sac fly from Brandon sent her home.  Ultimately, the Leopards were able to place a fifth run on the board in the top of the ninth and the Bucs were unable answer, wrapping the contest 4-5.

• Abigail Taylor tallied multiple putouts in the contest, with three occurring back-to-back-to-back in the top of the second inning from fly balls to center field.  Taylor was the only individual to record a stolen base in the contest for her 15th of the season.
• Riley Martens turned her first unassisted double play of the season after securing a line drive with a diving catch then tagging the bag for the second out in the play.
• Emma Brandon drove in a career-high two RBI, with one arriving after her eighth inning sacrifice fly.
• Hailey Porter drove in her ninth RBI of the season with her double turned triple.  
• Whitney Boone crossed the plate twice in the contest, and was the only Buc to do so, once as the opening run for the Bucs on a fielders choice and once as the extra base runner in extra innings. 
• The team totaled 30 at-bats, four runs, five hits, three RBI and drew four walks with just one strikeout in the nine innings.

UP NEXT
ETSU returns to action for a pair on Saturday, March 14 at 10 a.m. at Radford and 12:30 p.m. versus Lafayette at the Radford Softball Complex in the Radford Invitational.