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Radford University Athletics

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Radford Athletics Communications
7
Winner VMI VMI 18-23
5
Radford RAD 16-24
Winner
VMI VMI
18-23
7
Final
5
Radford RAD
16-24
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 R H E
VMI VMI 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 13 1
Radford RAD 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 5 12 2

W: Ryan Bennett (4-0) L: Zurak, Kyle (3-3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

RADFORD EDGED BY VMI IN 13-INNING SERIES OPENER



GAME INFORMATION
  • Score: VMI 7, Radford 5 (13 Innings)
  • Records: Keydets (18-23) | Highlanders (16-24)
  • Location: RU Baseball Stadium | Radford, Va.
 
RADFORD, Va. – In what appears to be a pattern of strange games played when in-state foes Radford and VMI get together, the Keydets pulled out a 7-5 13-inning affair that took 4:44 to play Friday night, spoiling the Highlanders four-run comeback that forced extra innings.
 
Radford and VMI met in Lexington on April 7, 2008 in a contest that went 16 innings, only taking 4:43 to play, which is one minute faster than it took the 2017 13-inning edition. The game stretched past the midnight hour, wrapping up on April 8.
 
Trailing 5-1, Radford's offense came alive in the bottom of the eighth as Kyle Butler opened the inning with a one-out walk, advancing to second on a passed ball as it appeared there were communication issues between VMI battery. Following the Highlanders' second fly out of the inning, Jonathan Gonzalez drove an RBI single into center field, forcing a Keydets' pitching change.
 
Gonzalez moved up via a wild pitch and Matt Roth followed with a RBI single up the middle, inching the Highlanders within two runs.
 
Looking to pad its lead, VMI put runners on second and third in the top of the ninth before Mack Krupp battled back with two swinging strikeouts to give a Radford a chance with three outs left.
 
VMI closer Ryan Bennett came on, looking to close the door on the Highlanders for his fifth save on the season. Entering the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth, Mason Scoville battled through an eight-pitch at bat for a single up the middle. Straton Podaras walked to put two runners on base as Carlin Christian came on as a pinch runner.
 
Cody Schneider stepped up the plate in a sacrifice situation, but the freshman fouled off his first two bunt attempts. Schneider showed bunt on 2-2 pitch after the VMI defense backed off and loaded the bases on a perfectly executed bunt down the third base line.
 
Making Bennett work for his fifth save, the righty got Adam Whitacre to strikeout, before a wild pitch allowed Scoville to score to make the game 5-4. As runners moved up to second and third on the wild pitch, VMI decided to intentionally walk Kyle Butler to keep the double play in effect.
 
Already with one walk-off hit on the season exactly one month to the day, Danny Hrbek stepped in the batters box as a base hit or sac fly would knot the game at five. Hrbek worked the count full, before flying out to left field, Christian tagged up to score the tying run. The throw skipped past Peyton Maddox behind the plate, allowing a tagging Schneider to advance to third on the errant throw.
 
Schneider was stranded on third as Gonzalez struck out on three pitches to send the Highlanders into extra innings for the third time on the season and the first at home.
 
Kyle Zurak entered the game in the top of the 10th inning, looking to keep the game intact for the Highlanders. Zurak tossed four strong innings, giving up only four hits, while collecting three strikeouts in the process.
 
VMI threated in the 11th as Matt Pita opened the inning with a bunt single, going first to third on a Matt Dunlevy single to center field. Josh Hollifield received the squeeze bunt call as both runners took off, but the attempt was popped up the Scoville at first, who flipped on to a covering Butler for the double play. Zurak forced a ground out to get the Highlanders out of the jam.
 
The Highlanders' best chance to take the victory came in the bottom of the 12th. Hrbek led off with a single to the pitcher, swiping second in the process. Roth earned a one-out intentional walk and Richard De la Cruz lined a single to left field, hit too hard to allow Hrbek to score.
 
Scoville stepped up to the plate with a chance to win the game and collect his first collegiate RBI in only his 10th at bat. Radford looked for a squeeze of their own as Hrbek broke for home and Scoville put the bunt down halfway between the plate and pitchers' mound. Hrbek slid in head first and the Highlander dugout broke out into celebration. However, a late out call by the home plate umpire sent the Radford faithful into an uproar.
 
Batting in the eighth spot due to the Christian pinch run substitution in the ninth, Zurak received an opportunity not many closers get, a chance to win the game for himself. The senior worked a 2-2 count, falling to a strikeout to end the frame.
 
The Keydets broke the extra inning scoring drought in the 13th inning after putting their first two base runners on base. Pita singled to right field for the game winning run and Hollifield added the insurance run on a RBI ground out for the 7-5 lead.
 
Entering his fifth inning of work, Bennett got the Highlanders to fly out three times on nine pitches to cap off his 94-pitch outing in the longest game played in Radford baseball history.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Ryan Bennett (4-0) (5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)
  • Loss: Kyle Zurak (3-3) (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)
  • With an official game time of 4:44, the 13-inning Titanic struggle is now the longest in Radford baseball history.
  • VMI's pitching staff combined for 18 strikeouts, a season high for the Keydets. The game marked their 16th game on the season with double-digit punch outs.
  • VMI starter Josh Winder allowed only four hits over seven frames, striking out 10 in the process.
  • The 18 strikeouts are the most by the Radford bats since 17 strikeout effort at North Carolina on Feb. 26.
  • Radford's pitching staff collected 12 strikeouts of their own as Evan Threehouse punched out four over two innings in relief of starter Zack Ridgely.
  • VMI's early 5-1 lead was aided by three home runs, most surrendered by Ridgely in his collegiate career.
  • Tyler Tharp had a three-run blast in the fourth, while Jacob Jaye and Collin Fleischer went back-to-back in the fifth.
  • Tharp also finished with three hits.
  • Radford scored first in the third inning on a Danny Hrbek ground-rule double to right field.
  • Matt Roth led the Highlanders with a 3 for 4 effort with a RBI and two walks.
  • Danny Hrbek collected two hits and two RBIs.
  • Adam Whitacre and Richard De la Cruz provided two hits each.
  • Radford swiped four bases, including one in each of the first three innings. Luke Wise, Roth, Hrbek and Whitacre collected a stolen base.
  • The two teams combined for 25 hits, including six of the extra base hit variety.
  • Radford falls to 10-8 when scoring first and 2-1 in extra inning contests.

ON DECK
  • Radford and VMI will continue the three-game series on Saturday at RU Baseball Stadium with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
  • LHP Brandon Barbery (0-7, 6.75 ERA) vs. RHP Danny Hrbek (2-4, 5.62 ERA)
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