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Radford University Athletics

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Riggs-Vandy-20160308
4
Radford RAD 2-10
13
Winner Vanderbilt VU 11-1
Radford RAD
2-10
4
Final
13
Vanderbilt VU
11-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Radford RAD 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 4 7 3
Vanderbilt VU 0 0 0 4 6 0 3 0 X 13 17 0

W: Raby (2-0) L: Swarmer, Tyler (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

RIGGS HITS THREE-RUN HOME RUN IN 13-4 LOSS TO NO. 2 VANDERBILT



GAME INFORMATION
  • Score: No. 2 Vanderbilt 13, Radford 4
  • Records: Vanderbilit (11-1) | Radford (2-10)
  • Location: Hawkins Field | Nashville, Tenn.  
                                      
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Trevor Riggs hammered a three-run home run in the fifth inning to pull Radford within 4-3 of No. 2 Vanderbilt, but wasn't enough as the Commodores scored six runs in the fifth inning to take a 13-4 victory in a NCAA Regional rematch, Tuesday night at Hawkins Field.
 
Radford and Vanderbilt met for the first time since the Nashville regional final on June 1, 2015. RU hoped to avenge a 21-0 loss from the last time the foes faced off.
 
The Commodores looked to strike first as Alonzo Jones led off the second inning with an infield single, advancing to second on a groundout, while taking third on a stolen base. With the infield playing in, Kyle Smith drilled a single off the glove of a diving Chris Coia at shortstop, holding Jones from scoring. RU starter Tyler Swarmer kept his composure with runners on the corners, striking out Tyler Campbell on an inside fastball and getting Ro Coleman to groundout.
 
Swarmer's streak of 8.1 scoreless innings was broken up in the bottom of the fourth as Karl Ellison lined a one-out single to right field, later scoring on a Smith single. After a RU error on a fielders' choice that put Commodores on the corners, Coleman laid down a sacrifice bunt, scoring Smith from third. Bryan Reynolds followed with a triple to center field, scoring on a Swarmer balk.
 
Trailing 4-0 after four innings, the Radford offense came alive in the top half of the fifth. Danny Hrbek led off with a single to left and Jonathan Gonzalez followed with a single of his own. With runners on first and second, Riggs launched a 0-1 fastball off of Patrick Raby to deep left field, pulling the Highlanders within 4-3 of the Commodores.
 
Vanderbilt answered the Riggs' three-run home run with a six-run fifth inning. Three singles by Jeren Kendall, Campbell and Coleman led to four of the six Commodore runs in the inning.
 
Adding three more runs in the seventh, highlighted by pinch hit two-run single off the bat of Penn Murfee, extended the Commodores lead to 13-3.
 
RU received some offense in the top of the ninth as Chandler Davis was hit by a pitch with two outs. Anthony Miano followed with a pinch-hit bloop single into right field, advancing Davis to third base. Colby Higgerson added Radford's fourth run with a RBI single up the middle as the Highlanders fell to Vanderbilt, 13-4, in the first game of the two-game series.
 
Radford and Vanderbilt will meet again tomorrow to wrap-up the quick two-game series at Hawkins Field. The action is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. CST on the SEC Network+.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Patrick Raby (2-0)
  • Loss: Tyler Swarmer (0-1)
  • The three-run home run in the fifth inning was the first for Trevor Riggs since May 30, 2015 versus Lipscomb in the Nashville regional.
  • Colby Higgerson ended his six game hitless streak with a single in the third inning. Higgerson was the only Highlander to finish with multiple hits.
  • In his first plate appearance as a Highlander, Anthony Miano collected his first hit. Miano did not appear in a game as a freshman in 2015.
  • A hit by pitch in the sixth inning extended Shane Johnsonbaugh's on-base streak to nine games. The senior leads the Highlanders with five HBP's.
  • Eight different Commodores drove in a run as 11 of Vanderbilt's 13 runs were credited for a RBI.
  • Jeren Kendall and Kyle Smith led Vanderbilt with three hits.
  • Alonzo Jones and Kendall stole two bases each. The four stolen bases are the most allowed by the Highlanders on the season.
 
QUOTABLE
  • "Anytime you give a team of that caliber more at bats than they should get, it's going to comeback and haunt you. We had to play perfect in the field. [Tyler] Swarmer was great early and that fourth inning forced him to throw more pitches, which cut his start early. We will continue to pitch better, but we have to cut down on miscues in the field. Our young guys are continuing to mature at the plate and we have to keep fighting on offense."~ Radford head coach, Joe Raccuia

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