BASEBALL SWEEPS SIENA IN HOME OPENER

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RADFORD, Va. – Radford opened the 2014 home season in style, recording 25 hits and sweeping a doubleheader from Siena on Saturday afternoon and RU Baseball Stadium.

An 8-run sixth and a third straight strong start from sophomore Dylan Nelson powered the Highlanders (4-6) to a 10-4 game-one win. Game two saw the Saints (0-8) rally and send the game into extra innings with a six-run seventh, but Alexander Lee's walk-off double in the eighth lifted the Highlanders to a 9-8 triumph.

Nelson tossed eight innings to improve to 3-0 in game one. He surrendered two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

Offensively, junior Patrick Marshall hit his first two collegiate home runs in game two and finished the twinbill, 4-for-7 with six RBI and three runs scored. Lee also had a big day, going 5-for-10 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored.

Game 1
With the score knotted at 2-2, the Highlanders exploded for eight runs in the sixth to break the deadlock and cruise to the win.

The big inning was highlight by Hunter Higgerson's two-run home run, which was preceded by Marshall's two-run single. Junior Josh Gardiner and senior Alexander Lee added run-scoring singles that started the rally. Two Siena errors during the frame extended the inning and only one of the runs was earned.

Lee was 3-for-5 with a double, RBI and two runs scored. Marshall (2-3) knocked in three and scored once. Higgerson and Josh Reavis each went 2-for-5. Higgerson had two RBI, while Reavis scored a pair.

Radford scored single runs in the first and third to grab a 2-0 lead. Two walks and two passed balls by Siena aided in the first inning run and Marshall doubled the lead with a RBI single to left in the third.

Siena strung together four hits and evened the ball game on a two-out RBI single by Patrick Ortland in the fourth. Ortland finished 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Saints.

Game 2
A six-run fifth afforded Radford an 8-2 lead, but Siena posted a six spot in the top of the seventh to force extra innings in the night cap. The momentum was short lived for the Saints as Lee roped a one-out walk-off double to the centerfield fence for the 9-8 victory in a scheduled seven-inning game.

Lee finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Junior Aaron Scoville, who scored the winning run, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Marshall walloped two long balls, knocked in three and scored twice, while Higgerson and Zach Woolcock had two hits apiece. Woolcock scored a pair of runs as well.

Marshall gave the Highlanders a 1-0 lead lacing the first pitch of the second inning over the leftfield fence for an opposite field home run, the first of his career.

After Siena's Dan Swain put his squad up 2-1 in the third with a two-run single, the Highlander quickly evened it in the fourth before exploding for six runs in the fifth.

Following Lee's go ahead RBI single, Marshall launched his second long ball of the day extending Radford's lead to 5-2. An RBI single by sophomore Jordan Taylor, sac fly by sophomore Chris Coia and a bases load hit by pitch pushed the advantage to 8-2.

Starter Michael Boyle was cruising along retiring nine consecutive Saints between the fourth and sixth innings. However, the sophomore lefty got into a little trouble in the seventh hitting the first batter and walking the next.

After Boyle exited, the Saints drew another walk and cut the lead in half on a two-run single by Carlos Tapia. A sac fly closed the gap to 8-5 and then with two outs a bases loaded double off the glove of the diving centerfield sent the game to extras setting up Lee's heroics.

Senior James Woods (1-0) picked up the win after striking out the only batter he faced with the go-ahead run on in the eighth. Boyle got the no decision. He went 6-plus, surrendering four runs on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

The series closes out tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.

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