LONGWOOD TAKES SOGGY FIRST GAME OF SERIES

BOX SCORE RADFORD, Va. - Longwood pitchers combined to hold Radford to just three hits on a rain-soaked Saturday afternoon at RU Baseball Stadium, and the Lancers took the opening game of the Big South series, 4-2. Chris Coia hit his first career home run for the Highlanders, but RU could not find its offensive punch.

"Longwood got big hits in clutch situations, and we did not," Radford head coach Joe Raccuia said. "We weren't ready to play today, and that is my fault. We got nothing from our main guys."

Alex Owens doubled in a run in the top of the first for the Lancers (13-14, 3-4) to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead off Radford ace Dylan Nelson (3-1). Nelson got out of jams in the first, second, and fifth with double play balls to limit the damage from the LU offense.

The Highlanders struck back in the bottom of the first to tie the game without the benefit of a base hit. Aaron Scoville was hit by a pitch to open the inning and moved to third when Josh Reavis' ground ball was misplayed by C.J. Roth at second base. Josh Gardiner's sac fly tied the game at a run apiece.

Owens again gave the Lancers the lead in the third with his fourth home run of the season. He took a 1-2 Nelson pitch over the right field fence with two outs to push Longwood back on top, 2-1. Longwood added an unearned run in the fifth to make it 3-1. Travis Burnette reached on a Hunter Higgerson error at third base and came in to score on Matt Dickason's RBI double.

Coia's solo shot to lead off the fifth for the Highlanders cut the lead to 3-2, but the Highlanders would get no closer.

Kyri Washington's home run to straight-away center field in the seventh pushed the lead to 4-2, and Scott Burkett and Mitchell Kuebbing relieved Aaron Myers to hold RU scoreless over the final 3.1 innings. Myers (4-1) earned the victory in 5.2 innings giving up two runs on two hits. Kuebbing earned his first save of the season logging two perfect innings of relief to close out the game.

The first four batters in the Longwood lineup each gathered two hits. Radford's hits came from Scoville and Patrick Marshall to go along with Coia's homer.

The teams will play the middle game of the series Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

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