VA TECH ESCAPES WITH 4-3 WIN OVER RADFORD

BOX SCORE RADFORD, Va. - No. 25 Virginia Tech stormed to a 4-0 lead in its first two at bats Tuesday night and made those runs hold up as the Hokies escaped RU Stadium with a 4-3 win over Radford in nonconference action.

Trailing 4-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Highlanders brought the winning run to the plate after Shane Johnsonbaugh and Josh Gardiner each singled to open the inning. Josh Reavis, however, grounded into a double play, and the Highlanders were only able to push across one run in the inning. Zach Woolcock's RBI single brought home Johnsonbaugh, but Kyle Fairbanks' pinch-hit groundout ended the game.

"We lost in the first third of the game," Radford head coach Joe Raccuia said. "This team isn't built to play from behind, and we have to learn not to give up lead off walks and take advantage of opportunities on offense early in the game. Every run counts no matter when it is scored."

Alex Perez led off the game with a base on balls for the Hokies and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Starting pitcher Brendon Hayden helped his own cause in the second with a one-out double. Chad Morgan pushed him across with an RBI single, and Ryan Burns doubled home Morgan to give Tech a 3-0 lead. Sean Keselica added an RBI double to make the score 4-0 after 1.5 innings had been played.

To the Highlanders' credit, they battled their way back into the game. Chris Coia hit a sac fly to cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom half of the second, but Radford left the bases loaded and could not cut further into the Hokie lead.

Virginia Tech (28-18) mounted a threat to blow the game open in the fourth loading the bases with one out on RU starter Dylan Nelson. Jeff Maxwell came in and relieved Nelson to quickly extinguish the threat. He got Keselica to pop out and struck out Chad Pinder to end the inning with no further damage.

Maxwell, James Woods, Nygeal Andrews, and Michael Costello combined for 5.2 innings of scoreless relief in a stellar performance by the RU bullpen.

"Those guys were lights out," Raccuia said. "We just have to be better both on offense and defense in the beginning of games."

Alexander Lee led off the sixth for Radford with a double to deep center field. Andrews knocked him in with a pinch-hit single to cut the lead to 4-2. After Blake Sipe reached on an error, and Hunter Higgerson sac bunt set up the tying runs in scoring position. Coia, however, struck out, and Gardiner grounded back to the pitcher to end the inning with just a single run coming home.

The Highlanders put together the rally in the ninth, but came up just short against the nationally-ranked Hokies.

Woolcock finished the night as the only Highlander with multiple hits. He was 2-5 win an RBI. Radford outhit the visitors 9-8, but fell to their ACC foes for the fifth straight time.

Hayden (2-0), who was on a scheduled short start, got the victory despite going just 4.0 innings as the starter. Clark Labitan earned a save even though he gave up a run in the ninth, his seventh of the season. Nelson took the loss for the Highlanders and fell to 5-3. Two of his three losses on the season have come to the Hokies.

Radford (24-20) returns to Big South play at Longwood this weekend. Friday's series opener vs. the Lancers in Farmville is set for 7:00 p.m.

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