BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – Phil Bondi and Tyren Rivers drove in three runs each, helping Radford outlast James Madison for a 15-12 win in a non-conference game on Tuesday afternoon.

Both teams combined for 12 runs in a first inning lasting better than 40 minutes – the Highlanders (14-16) had a 7-5 lead before countering JMU's (18-15) two additional second inning runs with four of their own for an 11-7 advantage after two frames were completed.

Reggie Keen added a solo homer in the sixth inning, his first of the season, and Robert Lamas went 3-for-3 with three runs for Radford, which had 14 hits on the way to snapping a four-game losing streak.

All nine players in the lineup had hits for the Highlanders, led by three each from Lamas and Bondi.

“I don't know how we would have responded if we hadn't scored seven runs in that first inning,” head coach Joe Raccuia said.  “After what we've been through recently, it was a hard task if we didn't have that big inning.

“We stockpiled plenty of base runners and had plenty of hits.  We got some production from almost everyone and that homer from Keen was huge for us to extend the lead.”

Bradley Shaban drove home three runs for the Dukes, including a pair on a two-out single in the wild first inning.  Trevor Knight went 3-for-4 and scored three runs, leading six Dukes with multi-hit efforts.

JMU started the high-scoring first inning with five runs, putting five of the first six men on base to begin the game.   Radford countered in the home half when JMU starter Nick Slogik hit the first two batters, then walked Matt Hillsinger to load the bases with nobody out.  The Highlanders went ahead for the first time on Bondi's single to left center, bringing home two runs for his first collegiate RBIs to make it a 6-5 Radford lead.  

The Dukes tied the game at 7-7 on two-out run-scoring hits by David Herbek and Matt Tenaglia before Radford added four more in the second, batting through the order again.  The Highlanders went ahead for good on Alex Guerra's two-run double with no one out, grabbing a 9-7 lead.  Bondi added an RBI single and Keen walked with the bases loaded, giving Radford its 11-7 lead through two innings.

JMU plated three more in the fourth before three Radford pitchers – Brad Wimmer, Derrick Brewer and Jason Patten – combined to hold the Dukes to two runs on five hits the rest of the way.

“It was tough for almost every pitcher out there, and we won because of the work from Wimmer, Brewer and Patten,” Raccuia said.  “They came in and closed a game down that could have been a 25-20 score.”  

Wimmer earned his second win of the season (2-1), going an inning and two-thirds in the middle of the game without allowing a run.

Jason Kuhn, who entered in the first when Slogik failed to retire a batter, allowed six runs in an inning and a third to take the loss (1-3).

Radford closes out a five-game homestand tomorrow, hosting Longwood at 3 p.m.