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MacKeith-20160326
6
Winner Radford RAD 6-18, 1-2 BSC
5
Longwood LWU 13-11, 3-3 BSC
Winner
Radford RAD
6-18, 1-2 BSC
6
Final
5
Longwood LWU
13-11, 3-3 BSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Radford RAD 2 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 6 12 0
Longwood LWU 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 8 2

W: MacKeith, Mitchell (3-1) L: BOYDSTUN, C. (0-2) S: Zurak, Kyle (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

RADFORD EARNS FIRST BIG SOUTH WIN IN 6-5 COMEBACK OVER LONGWOOD



GAME INFORMATION
  • Score: Radford 6, Longwood 5
  • Records: Radford (6-18, 1-2) | Longwood (14-10, 3-3)
  • Location: Buddy Bolding Stadium | Farmville, Va.  
                                      
FARMVILLE, Va. – Radford used a strong seven-strikeout pitching performance from Mitchell MacKeith, including two RBIs from Shane Johnsonbaugh and Chris Coia as the Highlanders earned their first Big South victory of the season with a 6-5 comeback win over Longwood, Saturday afternoon at a chilly Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
The final game of the Highlanders' Big South opening series started off with a bang as Coia led off the contest with a single to left field. Facing a 1-1 count, Johnsonbaugh blasted a two-run home run over the right field wall, giving Radford an early 2-1 lead.
 
After allowing a leadoff single in the bottom of the first, MacKeith put it in cruise control, not allowing another Lancer hit until the fourth inning. Over the span, MacKeith retired nine consecutive batters.
 
Longwood's first hit since the opening frame started a fourth inning rally for the Lancers, which saw five consecutive singles. The Lancers scored five runs on six hits to take a 5-2 lead over the Highlanders. The rally was highlighted by a two-run double off the left field fence by Brandon Harvell.
 
Trailing by three runs, Radford strung together a rally of their own in the top half of the fifth. Colby Higgerson kicked off the inning with a single through the left side. A successful hit-and-run off the bat of Luke Wise, put runners on the corners for Coia. A long fly ball to left field from Coia was enough to score Higgerson from third on the sacrifice fly.  
 
With two outs in the inning, Danny Hrbek reached on a throwing error by the Longwood shortstop, allowing a speedy Wise to score from second base. The throwing error moved the Highlanders within 5-4 of the Lancers.
 
Trevor Riggs singled through the left side to put RU runners on first and second. Coming to the plate in another RBI situation, Jonathan Gonzalez lined a single to left field, scoring Hrbek from second to knot the game at five.
 
After tying the game in the fifth, the Highlanders took the lead in the sixth as Wise kept the inning alive with a two-out single. Wise swiped second base, giving Coia a chance to give Radford the lead. Coia did not disappoint, delivering a single into right field, plating Wise easily for a 6-5 lead.
 
MacKeith retired 12 of his next 13 batters faced after the Lancers put a five spot on the board in the fourth inning, handing the game over the Highlander bullpen after seven strong innings.
 
Kyle Zurak threw two shutout innings, allowing only one walk and collecting three strikeouts for his first career save as the Highlanders held on for a 6-5 Big South victory.
 
The Highlanders will return to action on Tuesday, traveling to East Tennessee State for a 6 p.m. non-conference matchup.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Mitchell MacKeith (3-1) (7 IP, 8 H, 5R/5ER, 7 K)
  • Loss: Cody Boydstun (0-2) (1.1 IP, 4 H, 2R/1ER, 2 K)
  • Save: Kyle Zurak (1) (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K)
  • The seven strikeouts are a career-high for MacKeith.
  • With three strikeouts, Zurak has 12 in 9.2 innings pitched on the season.
  • Jonathan Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to nine games, going 13 for 34 with seven runs scored, seven RBI, two doubles and one home run.
  • Four Highlanders finished with two hits: Chris Coia, Shane Johnsonbaugh, Danny Hrbek and Luke Wise.
  • The multi-RBI contest was the third on the season and 17th of his career for Johnsonbaugh.
  • Coia now has two on the season and 16 in his career.
  • Johnsonbaugh now leads the Highlanders in home runs (4) and RBI (12).
 
QUOTABLE
  • "I thought Mitchell threw really well. They got a couple of cheap hits off of him in the fourth and put some runs across. They could have plated a sixth run, but he got a pretty big punch out to end the inning. After that inning, he controlled the game again. We played a really clean game defensively, pitched well and did just enough offensively to win the baseball game." ~ Radford head coach, Joe Raccuia

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