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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Josh Reavis
Radford Athletics Communications
7
Winner Indiana IND 35-22
1
Radford RAD 43-15
Winner
Indiana IND
35-22
7
Final
1
Radford RAD
43-15
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Indiana IND 0 0 1 3 0 0 3 0 0 7 13 0
Radford RAD 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 8 1

W: Hart,Kyle (5-0) L: Boyle, Michael (10-3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

HIGHLANDERS FALL TO INDIANA IN NCAA OPENER

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - No. 17 Radford (43-15) had its 15-game winning streak snapped by Indiana (35-22) in the opening round of the Nashville Regional on Friday at Hawkins Field. The Hoosiers defeated the Highlanders 7-1 and pushed the Highlanders into an elimination game Saturday afternoon.
 
The Highlanders were left wondering what may have been after back-to-back singles to open the first after Michael Boyle set down the Hoosiers in order in the top half.
 
Shane Johnsonbaugh blooped a single to left field and advanced to third on a Josh Reavis base hit, and RU was poised to take the momentum early. The leading run producer in the Big South with 57 RBI on the season, Patrick Marshall took a called third strike, and Reavis was out trying to steal second. Johnsonbaugh then broke for home on the throw to second and was caught stealing as Indiana turned a triple play to end the threat.
 
That play, combined with a bloop triple in the third for the Hoosiers which led to the first run of the game, gave IU starter Kyle Hart all the confidence he needed once Indiana took the lead.
 
With one out, Casey Rodrigue hit a pop-up behind first base that tipped off the glove of Brad Keen as he, Danny Hrbek, and Aaron Scoville all converged on the play. The play was ruled a triple, and Brad Hartong capitalized with an RBI single to give IU a 1-0 lead.
 
"You saw some first tournament jitters today," Radford head coach Joe Raccuia said.
 
Radford was making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament after earning the Big South's automatic bid having won the Big South Tournament last week.
 
The Hoosiers extended the lead to 4-0 with three runs in the fourth off Boyle. The big hit of the inning came off the bat of Brian Wilhite, who plated two runs with a double off the left field wall. A Nick Ramos triple to the left-center gap drove in another run, and the Highlanders never fully recovered.
 
Boyle (10-3) lost for the first time since a 2-1 loss to Marist on March 13. He allowed four runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings and threw 98 pitches.
 
"I thought Michael was fine," Raccuia said. "There are only so many times you can put a number one in a position where he has to put up all zeroes. Every single pitch became crucial because we weren't very good offensively. They [Indiana] battled some pitches and got two good swings that drove in multiple runs."
 
The lead ballooned to 7-0 in the seventh when Indiana scored three times off RU reliever Kyle Palmer. Craig Dedelow's home run to right field capped the scoring for the Hoosiers.
 
Radford scored its only run in the seventh. Reavis led off the inning with a double to the wall in right-center, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on a Hunter Higgerson ground out.
 
Hart (5-0) left after the seventh and earned the win. He gave up five hits and an unearned run while striking out six.
 
Along with Reavis, Chris Coia recorded a multiple-hit afternoon going 2-3. In all, the Highlanders had eight hits to 13 for Indiana.
 
Radford will play in the loser's bracket Saturday at 3:00 p.m (CT) against the loser of the Vanderbilt / Lipscomb game to be played Friday night.
 
"It's pretty simple now," Raccuia said. "If you lose, you go home and this historic run is over, and I don't think anybody wants it to end. Somebody is going to come through the loser's bracket to the championship game, so why not us?"
 
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