SEASON ENDS WITH 3-2 LOSS AT LIBERTY

BOX SCORE LYNCHBURG, Va. - Liberty's Justin Sizemore hit a two-run, two-out home run in the ninth inning to give the Flame's a 3-2 win over Radford in a Big South Tournament elimination game Thursday at Liberty Baseball Stadium. The loss ends the season for the Highlanders with a 30-26 record.

Playing each other for the fifth time in a week, Sizemore delivered a winning hit in the Flames' final at-bat for the second time during that stretch against the Highlanders. His two-run double in the regular season finale on Saturday scored both runs in the bottom of the eighth in a 2-1 Liberty victory.

Michael Costello came on in the ninth to try and earn his 10th save of the season for Radford. He struck out Danny Grauer, and then gave up a one-out single to Bryan Aanderud. Another strikeout to Alex Close, and the Highlanders were one out away from advancing to the semifinal round vs. Coastal Carolina.

Sizemore had other plans. He lifted a 2-1 fastball over the left field fence to give the Flames a dramatic 3-2 lead. Ashton Perritt closed the game on the mound for Liberty with three straight strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth to end the Radford season and earn his seventh save of the season.

"This was a great college baseball game," Radford head coach Joe Raccuia said, "I am disappointed for my guys, but take away nothing but positives from the season and the strides this program has made forward. For the second time in a week, [Trey] Lambert was really good against our guys, and Sizemore came away with another big hit for them."

Lambert (7-3) pitched 8.0 innings for the Flames and gave up two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out four to earn the victory. Radford's pitching staff was equally effective. Keith Fritz worked 5.1 innings in his final career appearance giving up a single run on three hits. The single run was a solo home run by Perritt in the fifth. Nygeal Andrews logged 2.2 innings of shutout relief before yielding to Costello for the ninth inning.

Radford built a 2-0 lead in the third. Chris Coia led off the inning with a single followed by a Josh Gardiner base hit. Josh Reavis laid down a sac bunt to move them into scoring position. Jeff Kemp delivered the a two-run single to stake the Highlanders to an early lead.

Perritt's homer cut the lead in half and both defenses held until Sizemore's game-winner in the ninth.

Coia finished the night with a pair of hits (2-3) and was the only player on either team with multiple hits.

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