NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Shane Johnsonbaugh had three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, and Radford eliminated Indiana with a 5-3 victory in the Nashville Regional on Sunday. Johnsonbaugh's RBI single and Josh Reavis' sacrifice fly in the eighth gave Radford a 5-3 lead after Indiana tied it at 3 with three runs in the fifth.
The Highlanders (45-15) earned the program's second NCAA Tournament win, making up for a 7-1 loss to the Hoosiers (35-24) on Friday.
Radford (45-15) was scheduled to face defending national champion Vanderbilt in the championship round Sunday night.
Radford reliever Kyle Palmer (3-0) earned the win with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, and Ryan Meisinger recorded his 17th save with two scoreless innings.
Radford Head Coach Joe Raccuia Press Conference Quotes following the Game
Opening Statement:
"We beat a really good baseball team. A team that was really hot at the end of the year, and we weathered a storm of line drives, double plays, and hard hit baseballs all over the field for the first five innings and really, really weathered it. I'm more proud of the fact that after Indiana came back with that three-run inning we responded late in the game and put pressure on them. Made them climb some pitch counts. Gave us an opportunity to score some runs and we had a chance to extend the first three innings with a lead off guy on. Two of them didn't get past first base. We didn't extend them past first base. We didn't execute, but later in the game we had opportunities and Shane and Reavis took really good at bats against a kid with obviously just electric stuff. Power slider and a way above average fastball, but Palmer did a great job, and obviously got the ball to Meisinger and he did what he normally does, which is finish games for us. So, it's a huge win for us and we are excited to play Vandy in the Championship round I guess it is. Obviously, we are depleted a little bit in the pen going into this, but hey we just need to play. We just need to move forward play, and see what happens."
On what winning on back to back elimination games say about your team:
"They're a solid bunch of kids and they're great, and they are the best team I've ever been around. Yesterday, during the rain delay, we were sitting in the Vanderbilt Football locker room and I realized at that point that I didn't want the season to end only because I wanted to be around them more and that was the pre-game talk or the middle of the game talk. When we went back on the field it really clicked in that this is so fun to be around them. That I really don't not want to coach tomorrow. That's the group of guy's that we have."
What was different about this game against Indiana that gave you the win:
"I think yesterday helped us. I think just getting our feet in the ground and playing better baseball and taking better at bats. You know, I thought we came out and even though the Hart kid was really good two days ago, but I think we just settled down and played got better swings off and the ball found our glove in the first three or four innings. So, we got through those without much damage."
On Shane Johnsonbaugh approach today and what lead to his success today at the plate:
"He's an aggressive kid and that's a good match-up. A right handed power arm is a good match-up for Shane. I was really, really excited that he would have an opportunity. The goal was to really get either him or Coia some swings off in that situation because he had been swinging the bat well. That's why we had Zach (York) bunt because if they didn't pitch to Coia then we had Johnsonbaugh, and those are the two best hitters right now. So, I felt like giving one of those guys a crack at it would be the best option."
What has Ryan Meisinger meant to the team this year and what was the decision to go with him in the eighth?
"Well, there is you know and you play that in your head. I tell coach McQueen I said, 'We throw him two innings he might be done for the rest of the weekend', and this team deserves to go out and play in a final game. So, he got us there now it is our job to, the other guy's in the bullpens job, to try and do what he has done.
"He's the MVP of the team. I mean you can see it. As soon as he comes into the baseball game we win the baseball game. It's done, it's finished and there has probably not been another kid I have coached that you can say that he has literally helped you win all your games he's been a part of."
On the aggressiveness of the base-runners in this game:
"They put pressure on people. You know we had a bunch of base-runners. We got hit by pitches. We got a couple bunts down. We read some dirt balls. We got some big two out hits and that has kind of been our recipe."
