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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Michael Boyle
Big South Sports Photos
0
High Point HPU 28-25
4
Winner Radford RAD 41-14
High Point HPU
28-25
0
Final
4
Radford RAD
41-14
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
High Point HPU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1
Radford RAD 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 X 4 7 0

W: Boyle, Michael (10-2) L: MCGILLICUDDY, John (5-5)

Game Recap: Baseball |

BOYLE GEM LEADS RU TO SEMIFINALS BERTH, 4-0 OVER HIGH POINT

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BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Michael Boyle (10-2) threw his best outing of the season, a combined Radford (41-14) shutout 4-0 over High Point (28-25), and became the first Highlander in program history to reach double digit wins in a season Wednesday night in the quarterfinal round of the Big South Tournament presented by Hardee's and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The Highlanders won a school-record 13th straight game and advance to Friday's semifinals.

Boyle was efficient in his 8.0 innings of work. He threw 102 pitches and coaxed 13 ground ball outs with two walks and four strikeouts. He allowed just three hits, all singles. Ryan Meisinger worked a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation to combine with Boyle for the first shutout of the season for the Highlanders.

"We beat a really good baseball team tonight, and we beat them by really pitching well," Radford head coach Joe Raccuia said. "We grinded out about four or five at bats that change the outcome of a baseball game. Boyle was in complete control."

Boyle got all the help he would need when RU broke on top in the third. Brad Keen led off the inning with a double and scored on Chris Coia's RBI two-bagger. Josh Reavis singled home Coia, and the Highlanders would rely on their steady left-handed ace. Keen drove in a run with a single in the fourth after Hunter Higgerson added to his school record with his 25th double of the season. Shane Johnsonbaugh added an important insurance run in the eighth with his seventh homer of the season. With a double as well, he extended his hitting streak to 17 games.

The game lived up to expectations as a battle between two of the league's best starting pitchers. John McGillicuddy (5-5) went 7.1 innings and surrendered seven hits and four runs with one walk and nine Ks.

"McGillicuddy was as good as I have seen him tonight in all of his games at High Point," Raccuia said. "He was electric too."

But Boyle and his defense were better on this night. Higgerson set the tone on the first batter of the night robbing Brady Williamson of what could have been an extra base hit with a backhand play at third base. Danny Hrbek and Coia each made similar stops in the middle infield to keep the Panther offense treading water all night. Only two High Point runners reached second base, and one of those was in the ninth on a defensive indifference.

"We are playing clean defense and not making many mistakes," Raccuia said. "That is what you have to do to beat a good team like High Point."

Radford has now won two games at the Big South Tournament for just the third time in program history -- 1993 and 2008. The Highlanders will face the winner of Winthrop and Campbell, who play Thursday in an elimination game, on Friday at 10:00 a.m.
 
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