RADFORD TAKES ROAD SERIES WITH 5-2 WIN AT COASTAL

BOX SCORE MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Keith Fritz pitched 6.0 strong innings, and Ryan Burgess drove in three runs as Radford took a three-game series from Coastal Carolina for the first time since 2002, 5-2 Sunday in the finale. The Highlanders won the final two games of the series after dropping the opener 1-0 in 15 innings. RU won the middle game, 4-3.

After Jeff Kemp was a late scratch at shortstop due to illness, Chris Coia moved from centerfield to the infield position and delivered the game's biggest defensive play.

With Radford holding on to a its 5-2 lead in the seventh and the bases loaded with no one out for the Chanticleers, Coia leaped and snagged a line drive destined to drive in a pair of runs and turned a double play at second base. James Woods came out of the bullpen to get the final out of the inning and the threat was extinguished.

"We not only got a really sound start from Fritz, but a great job by Woods and our pen to come in and calm things down when Coastal had a lot of momentum late in the game," Radford head coach Joe Raccuia said. "We were able to manufacture just enough offense against a really good Coastal pitching staff."

The offense was putting plenty of runners on base early, but the Highlanders failed to take advantage of bases loaded situations in the first, third, and eighth.

Radford did strike first in the fifth. Josh Reavis led off the inning with a base on balls followed by a single by Patrick Marshall. Zach Woolcock moved the runners up 90 feet with a a sacrifice bunt, and Reavis came home on the first pitch thrown by CCU reliever Austin Kerr, which was a wild pitch. Burgess grounded out to first, but drove in Marshall in the process.

Coastal answered with a single run in the fifth on an RBI single by Brian Pruett, but Jacob May grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Highlanders still in the lead, 2-1.

The Highlanders took control of the game in the seventh. Josh Gardiner reached on a Pruett error at shortstop, Reavis singled, and Marshall knocked in Gardiner with a bunt single. Burgess drove in a pair with a single to make the score 5-1.

Again, the Chanticleers answered, with a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Coia defensive play turned the tide. Woods worked 1.1 innings giving up just one hit, and Jeff Maxwell came on in the ninth to coax a double play and then a groundout to end the game and record his second save of the season.

Fritz earned the victory (2-2), and Tyler Poole (4-2) tooke the loss for CCU.

The Highlanders host East Tennessee State on Tuesday at RU Baseball Stadium. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.

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