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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
McQueen-20160318
7
Winner Radford RAD 3-15
5
USC Upstate UPST 8-11
Winner
Radford RAD
3-15
7
Final
5
USC Upstate UPST
8-11
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Radford RAD 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 3 7 9 1
USC Upstate UPST 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 5 14 1

W: McQueen, Travis (1-1) L: WILLINGHAM (0-1) S: Bridgeman, Daniel (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

MCQUEEN COLLECTS FIRST CAREER WIN IN 7-5 DECISION VERSUS USC UPSTATE

GAME INFORMATION
  • Score: Radford 7, USC Upstate 5
  • Records: Radford (3-15) | USC Upstate (8-11)
  • Location: Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.  
                                      
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Radford scored five runs in the final two innings to snap its six-game skid, while holding off a ninth inning rally as Travis McQueen earned his first career win in relief as the Highlanders held on for a 7-5 win over USC Upstate, Friday night in a non-conference showdown at Harley Park.
 
After only managing one hit through the first four innings, the Highlander bats came alive in the fifth.
 
Luke Wise laid down a perfectly executed bunt between the Spartan pitcher and third baseman. Chris Coia followed with a single to left field, giving RU runners on the corners. A wild pitch allowed Coia to advance to second.
 
With runners on second and third, Shane Johnsonbaugh lined a single up the middle, giving Radford a 2-1 lead in the top half of the fifth inning.
 
Radford's lead was short lived as USC Upstate struck for a run in the bottom of the sixth. The run came after Charlie Carpenter led off the inning with a single, moving to second on a Jake Beaver sac bunt. Carpenter would come around to score on a Hunter Gilbert single to left, knotting the game at two a piece.
 
Heading into the eighth inning tied, the Highlanders loaded the bases on walks by Danny Hrbek, Jonathan Gonzalez and Jordan Taylor. Colby Higgerson followed with a fielders' choice, scoring Hrbek easily from third base. Gonzalez came around to score on a throwing error by the Spartans second baseman on the attempted double play as Radford controlled a 4-2 lead.
 
USC Upstate added a run in the bottom half of the inning on a Beaver RBI double, pulling within 4-3 on the Highlanders.
 
Radford's bats exploded for three runs on two hits in the top of the ninth. Coia led off the inning with a hit by pitch, advancing on a stolen base. Trevor Riggs drilled a triple down the left field line, scoring Coia from second. Hrbek followed with RU's second consecutive triple, scoring later on a wild pitch to extend the Highlander lead to 7-3.
 
The Spartans attempted a late inning comeback, scoring a run on a Radford throwing error and a Carpenter RBI single. After the two USC Upstate runs, RU closer Daniel Bridgeman came on to shut the door, stranding two Spartan runners as the Highlanders collected a 7-5 road win.    
 
The Highlanders will play Lafayette tomorrow in a neutral site matchup at Harley Park. The action is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start with RU serving as the home team.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Travis McQueen (1-1) (2.2 IP, 5 H, 3R/1ER, 1 BB, 2 K)
  • Loss: Elijah Willingham (0-1) (1.1 IP, 1 H, 2R/1ER, 3 BB, 1 K)
  • The win gives McQueen the first win of his Radford career.
  • Shane Johnsonbaugh two-run single in the fifth inning is his first multi-RBI hit on the season.
  • The multi-RBI contest was the first for Johnsonbaugh, since the season opener at Mercer on Feb. 19.
  • Trevor Riggs, Danny Hrbek and Johnsonbaugh collected two hits each.
  • Radford went 17 games without a triple to begin the season, but Riggs and Hrbek earned back-to-back triples in the ninth inning.
  • Charlie Carpenter led USC Upstate with four hits. Cody Brittain followed with three hits.
  • USC Upstate left 12 runners on base, most by a Highlander opponent on the season.
 
QUOTABLE
  • "Tonight's win wasn't pretty, but wins have been hard to come by, so we will take it. This season we may have several of those scrappy victories, but at the end of the day, it's still a win. The top of our order put some good swings on the ball tonight. They came up big in the late innings. I am just glad the guys got this one off of their back." ~ Radford head coach, Joe Raccuia
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