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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Zack Ridgely
Big South Sports Photos
3
Longwood LWU 21-33
5
Winner Radford RAD 40-14
Longwood LWU
21-33
3
Final
5
Radford RAD
40-14
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Longwood LWU 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 3 7 1
Radford RAD 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 X 5 8 1

W: Bridgeman, Daniel (5-2) L: MYERS, A. (4-9) S: Meisinger, Ryan (14)

Game Recap: Baseball |

RADFORD CLOSES OUT WIN OVER LONGWOOD IN OPENING ROUND

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BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - No. 23 Radford (40-14) head coach Joe Raccuia said in the postgame of his team's 5-3 win over Longwood (21-33) on the opening day of the Big South Tournament presented by Hardee's and Enterprise Rent-A-Car that his team has learned over the season to win baseball games in many different ways, and Tuesday's win was no exception. Patrick Marshall's solo home run broke a late tie to lead RU to its 40th win.

After building a 3-0 lead through four innings, the Highlanders let go by a prime opportunity to extend the lead in the fifth with two runners in scoring position and no outs. Josh Reavis singled to open the inning followed by a Marshall base hit and advance on a wild pitch. But Longwood ace Aaron Myers (4-9) coaxed a ground ball from Hunter Higgerson, a pop up from Danny Hrbek, and a fly out by Aaron Scoville to get out of the jam.

RU gained the 3-0 lead on the back of an RBI single from Marshall in the third and a two-run home run by Trevor Riggs in the fourth.

"I commend Longwood for getting back into that ball game," Raccuia said. "We had an opportunity to expand the lead, and it was a huge turn of events when we didn't score and the next inning we made a couple mistakes and gave up two runs."

With Radford starter Zack Ridgely cruising through the first five innings, the Lancers capitalized in the sixth on a couple miscues to cut the lead to 3-2. C.J. Roth started the rally with a two-out single, and then a fielding error by Chris Coia at shortstop kept the inning alive. Brandon Harvell and Kyri Washington each answered with RBI singles. Ridgely finished the night with 6.0 innings pitched and a no decision allowing five hits, two runs, and no walks on only 73 pitches.

"I thought Ridgely was outstanding," Raccuia said. "He gave us exactly what he has been giving us this season, and without a couple mistakes behind him, he probably pitches eight innings."

Daniel Bridgeman (5-2) entered the game and allowed his first home run and only the second earned run of the season when Alex Lewis connected on his second home run on the year in the seventh. The solo shot tied the game, 3-3. Bridgeman recovered to record a six-pitch inning in the eighth to earn the victory and set up Ryan Meisinger for his 14th save of the season.

With two outs in the bottom half of the seventh, Marshall hit a tape-measure blast to right field on the first pitch he saw from Myers to give Radford the lead for good. The Highlanders manufactured an insurance run in the eighth to provide the final margin. Hrbek led off the fame hit by a pitch, and Scoville bunted him to second before he stole third. Brad Keen drove him in with a sac fly.

"We have learned over the course of the season how to win in all different ways," Raccuia said, "And tonight our best player comes through and got the game to the best arm in the game. We finished the game off the right way."

Meisinger recorded two more strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning to close out a school-record tying 12th straight victory. The win was the 300th in Raccuia's career and his 242nd as the skipper at Radford, which moves a win ahead of Lew Kent for the school record for coaching wins.

Radford advances in the winner's bracket to face High Point on Wednesday at approximately 8:00 p.m.
 
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