RU WINNING STREAK SNAPPED WITH ETSU WALK-OFF

BOX SCORE JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Radford's six-game winning streak came to an end in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday at East Tennessee State as the Buccaneers walked off with a 5-4 win on Chris Riopedre's RBI triple. The Highlanders carried a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning, but failed to hold the lead as ETSU rallied for single runs in the eighth and ninth to record the victory.

Ryan Meisinger (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season after giving up an infield single to Clinton Freeman and the game-winning triple in the ninth. He struck out Chris Cook to begin the inning. Alexander Lee pitched the eighth for the Highlanders and gave up a run to tie the game at four when ETSU rallied with an infield single and a bloop double to even the score.

Radford (25-18) took an early lead when Hunter Higgerson led off the second inning with a towering home run to left field. The blast was his ninth of the season and pushed him in front of the Big South RBI race with 39 on the season. That solo shot held up until the fourth when the Buccaneers tied the game on a Jordan Sandford run-scoring base hit. Blake Sipe gave RU the lead back with a sac fly in the top of the sixth.

ETSU (21-22) took its first lead of the night with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Kevin Phillips singled home a run, and Zach Mize knocked in a run with a ground out to give the Bucs a 3-2 lead. Radford responded with two in the top of the seventh. Higgerson and Zach Woolcock led off the inning with base hits. Higgerson came home on a balk call, and Josh Reavis plated Woolcock with an RBI pinch-hit single to give Radford back the lead.

It was a lead, however, that the Highlanders could not close out. Josh Gardiner and Higgerson each collected two hits on the night to lead an RU attack that only notched six hits. Riopedre led the Buccaneers with a three-hit night, including the game-winner.

Radford travels to High Point on Friday for the beginning of a crucial three-game Big South series with the Panthers. The first game of the series will be carried live on ESPN3 and starts at 7:00 p.m.

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