Baseball Drops Pair at The Citadel Memorial Challenge

Friday, February 27

Charleston, S.C.

2:30 pm

Radford University

The Citadel

Baseball Drops Pair at The Citadel Memorial Challenge

2/27/2009 9:23:40 PM | Baseball

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel held off Radford for a 4-2 win in the Highlanders' first game at The Citadel Memorial Challenge, and Marshall cruised to a 14-2 victory in the nightcap at Joe Riley Park on Friday.

With the losses, Radford drops to 1-4 in the early season.

THE CITADEL 4, RADFORD 2

In the afternoon tilt, the home-standing Bulldogs (2-3) picked up runs in the home half of the first, third and fifth innings, going ahead 3-0.

Radford rallied back for a pair in the top of the seventh, when junior Rick Hoogstraten (Poquoson, Va./Poquoson) came off the bench and dropped a single into left center field, scoring freshman Matt Hillsinger (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) on the play to make it a 3-1 game.

With the bases loaded and no one out, junior center fielder Tyren Rivers (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond River) grounded into a fielder's choice, driving in senior third baseman Nick Minter (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) to make it a 3-2 game.

The Citadel got the insurance run it needed in the bottom of the seventh on Sid Fallaw's sacrifice fly to center field, driving in Bryan Altman to extend the lead to 4-2.

Righty Wes Wrenn (1-0) earned the victory with six innings of work, allowing two earned runs and striking out six. Junior right-hander Aerik Taylor (Williamsport, Md./Hagerstown) picked up the loss (0-2), tossing five frames.

Altman led the Bulldogs at the plate, with a 2-for-3 day, scoring three runs.

Freshmen Jeff Kemp (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) and Brett Mollenhauer (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) each contributed a pair of hits for the Highlanders.

MARSHALL 14, RADFORD 2

In the second game, Marshall (3-3) jumped on the Highlanders early, 7-0 through three innings. The Thundering Herd sent all nine hitters to the plate in the top of the third inning and Ben Jurevicius struck the big blow with a two-RBI single up the middle, putting the Herd up 5-0.

Marshall added three-run frames in the fifth and sixth innings.

Left-hander Ryan Kiel (2-0) picked up the win, allowing one earned run in five innings while striking out five. Sophomore right-hander Shane Pysh (Wheeling, W.Va./John Marshall) was tagged with the loss (0-1).

Jurevicius drove in four runs during the nightcap, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Kemp led the Highlanders with a 2-for-3 evening, scoring a run and drawing a pair of walks.

Radford resumes play in The Citadel Memorial Challenge, weather permitting, on Saturday with a 5 p.m. first pitch against Tennessee Tech.