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Radford University Athletics

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de la cruz ??
Jonathan Huff (www.apertureone.net)
4
Youngstown State YSU 1-12
6
Winner Radford RAD 6-9
Youngstown State YSU
1-12
4
Final
6
Radford RAD
6-9
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Youngstown State YSU 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 8 0
Radford RAD 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 X 6 9 0

W: Gerber, Austin (2-1) L: FLOYD, Collin (0-4) S: Higgerson, Colby (1)

3
Youngstown State YSU 1-13
4
Winner Radford RAD 7-9
Youngstown State YSU
1-13
3
Final
4
Radford RAD
7-9
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Youngstown State YSU 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 11 0
Radford RAD 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 4 7 2

W: Palmer, Kyle (1-1) L: LOPATKA, Zach (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

RADFORD SWEEPS DOUBLEHEADER AND SERIES AGAINST YOUNGSTOWN STATE



RADFORD, Va. – The Radford baseball team scored 10 runs on 16 hits on Saturday that led to a doubleheader sweep over Youngstown State with a 6-4 win in game one and a 4-3 walk-off victory in game two. Along with the win on Friday afternoon, the Highlanders swept the series against the Penguins.
 
Five different Highlanders had multi-hit games in the final day of the series. Will Harless, who was one of those five players, had a multi-RBI game along with Carlin Christian.
 
GAME ONE INFORMATION
  • Score: Radford 6, Youngstown State 4
  • Records: Highlanders (6-9) | Penguins (1-12)
  • Location: Carter Memorial Stadium | Radford, Va.
 
The Highlanders fell behind early, 3-0 after a three run first inning from Youngstown State. The runs came from a solo home run, a one-out groundout to second and an infield single.
 
After a scoreless bottom of the first, Radford found their hitting stride in the second inning. Matt Roth led off the inning with a single to right field. Following a Clayton Baine walk, Will Harless tripled down the right field line and drove in Roth and Baine. The two runs cut the deficit to one run.
 
A walk put runners on the corners with no outs in the inning. Baine scored the tying run on a sacrifice bunt from Carlin Christian. Follwing a strikeout, Colby Higgerson ripped a ball up the middle and drove in the go-ahead run in Richard De la Cruz. The inning ended on a groundout to shortstop with two runners on base.
 
Matt Roth began the third inning with a solo blast over the left field wall just moments after he made a leaping lineout grab that ended the top half of the frame. His solo bomb gave the Highlanders a 5-3 lead.
 
Youngstown State rallied back and scored a run in the top of the fifth inning, but left a runner on base as Austin Gerber came out of the bullpen and struck out Zach Lopatka in a clutch situation. The Highlanders picked up an insurance run in the eighth inning as Andrew Szamski reached on a triple to right center field and scored on a wild pitch in the next at-bat. The run gave Radford a 6-4 advantage.
 
Higgerson moved from shortstop to the mound in the ninth inning and picked up his first save of the season and the first of his career.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Austin Gerber (2-1) | (3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K)
  • Loss: Collin Floyd (0-4) | (6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K)
  • The Highlanders had three extra base hits, including three triples and one home run.
  • Three players had multi-hit games for Radford as Roth, Baine and Harless collected two hits each.
  • The three of them scored one run each, except for Roth, who led the way with two. Szamski and De la Cruz also scored a run.
  • Harless drove in two runs and recorded his first two RBIs of the season.
  • Mack Krupp earned the start for Radford. He struck out one and allowed six hits.
  • Austin Trace was the only Penguin with two hits. YSU tallied eight hits in the contest.
 
GAME TWO INFORMATION
  • Score: Radford 4, Youngstown State 3
  • Records: Highlanders (7-9) | Penguins (1-13)
  • Location: Carter Memorial Stadium | Radford, Va.
 
Radford completed the doubleheader sweep and the series sweep with a 4-3 victory in a predetermined seven inning game that included one of the crazier endings college baseball has seen.
 
Heading into the seventh inning – the final inning of play – the Highlanders trailed 3-1. That changed after freshman Will Harless pinch hit for Richard De la Cruz with a runner on second and two outs. Harless, who picked up his first collegiate RBI earlier in the day, added to his total as he drove in Straton Podaras with a RBI single to center field. The Harless' RBI inched the Highlanders within one run. Then things got interesting.
 
Carlin Christian was at the plate with an 0-2 count and poked a ball down the left field line. Pinch-runner Adam Whitacre raced around the bases, rounded third and was halfway home when left fielder Lucas Nasonti raised both arms to signal the ball was lost in the bullpen area.
 
By this time, Whitacre had crossed the plate and Christian stood on third base. After some confusion, Nasonti found the ball and tossed it into the Penguin infield. As the ball made its way to the shortstop, Christian had practically walked home to give the Highlanders the walk-off 4-3 series sweeping victory. 
 
The Highlanders surrounded Christian as most teams do after a walk-off win, but the umpires had to discuss the final play. After a few minutes of discussion and both teams out of the dugout awaiting the call, the umpires signaled the end of the game. Christian's first collegiate home run was an inside the park home run that resulted in a walk-off.
 
Radford took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning as Spencer Horwitz drove in Kyle Butler, who reached on a leadoff double.
 
With runners in scoring position and one-out, the Penguins tied the game as a run scored on a groundout to second base. Now with two outs in the inning, a dropped fly ball in center field should've kept the game tied at one, but it popped out of De la Cruz's glove. The error scored Blaze Glenn, gave Youngstown State a 2-1 lead and prolonged the inning.
 
Andrew Nardi entered the game and gave up an RBI double down the left line, which gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead, before striking out Lucas Nasonti to end the sixth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Kyle Palmer (1-1) | (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K)
  • Loss: Zach Lopatka (0-2) | (6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
  • Horwitz and Podaras had a 2-for-3 game, leading the Highlanders.
  • Horwitz had one of the Highlanders' RBIs. Harless had another and Christian had a team-high two.
  • Three of the four RBIs came in the seventh inning.
  • The Penguins tallied 11 hits coming from eight different players.
  • Trey Bridis, Andrew Kendrick and Nasonti led Youngstown State with two hits each.
  • Cameron Fritz started the game on the mound. He pitched 5.2 innings, didn't surrender a walk and allowed three runs – one earned. He picked up four strikeouts.
  • Youngstown State left eight men on base, including five over the first four innings.
 
ON DECK
The Highlanders will look to build off their three game winning streak and welcome Manhattan to Carter Memorial Stadium for two midweek contests on Tuesday and Wednesday at 4 p.m.

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