RU SPLITS OPENING DOUBLEHEADER OF SERIES AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. - Radford and College of Charleston split a doubleheader Saturday in the first two games of a three-game weekend series at Patriots Point. The Highlanders took the opener, 7-3, and the Cougars won the nightcap, 5-3. Sunday's rubber game of the nonconference set begins at noon.

Game 1 - Radford recorded its first-ever win over College of Charleston with a 7-3 come-from-behind victory. The Cougars were 4-0-1 all-time against the Highlanders coming into the series.

Charleston took a 2-0 lead in the first when with runners at second and third, a wild pitch from Tyler Costello allowed a run to score. While trying to throw out the runner at the plate on the play, Josh Reavis' throw back to the plate got by Costello and another run scored on the error.

Josh Gardiner knocked in a run with a single in the second to cut the lead in half. He then tied the game in the sixth with an RBI double. Ryan Burgess gave the Highlanders the lead later in the inning when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Zach Woolcock singled in a run to make it 4-2, and Alexander Lee's fielder's choice also plated a run to make it 5-2.

Costello (4-3) settled in and earned the victory with 5.1 strong innings. He spread out five Cougar hits and walked three and struck out five. Jeff Maxwell went 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, and Daniel Bridgeman worked into the ninth before James Woods came on to record his first save of the season.

The Highlanders added two more runs in the seventh. Gardiner drove in his third run with his third base hit, this time a single, and Hunter Higgerson crossed the plate on a Cougar error when Chris Coia beat out a bunt single and the ball was thrown away at first base.

Charleston scored a run in the ninth off Bridgeman to make it interesting, but Woods retired all three batters he faced to save the game.

Game 2 - Josh Gardiner opened the game with a single, stole a base, and avanced to third on a throwing error. He scored the game's first run two batters later on a Ryan Burgess ground out.

Michael Boyle made that single run stand up until giving up three tough luck runs in the third. With two outs, Boyle struck out Charleston shortstop Gunnar Heidt, but the ball got away from Josh Reavis behind the plate, and Heidt was safe on the wild pitch.

The next batter, Brandon Murray lifted a three-run home run over the right field fence to give the Cougars a 3-1 lead.

The Highlanders fought back to tie the game in the fifth.

Kyle Fairbanks and Blake Sipe led the inning off with singles. Gardiner singled in his fourth run of the day to cut the lead to 5-4. Reavis reached on a bunt single and tied the game.

Despite one of his best outings of the season, Boyle (4-2) suffered the loss after giving up a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to Carl Wise. Boyle went the distance in the seven-inning game giving up just six hits and striking out five without a walk.

The Highlanders are now 24-18 on the season, while Charleston is 23-19 heading into Sunday's finale.

"We really played some good baseball today, and it's been a long time coming," said RU head coach Joe Raccuia. "The overall effort we need moving forward was there today. Minus a couple big swings by them in game two, we executed and played aggressively all day."

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