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Radford Athletics Communications
18
Winner Radford RAD 9-13
6
High Point HPU 12-11
Winner
Radford RAD
9-13
18
Final
6
High Point HPU
12-11
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Radford RAD 0 2 0 2 3 3 5 2 1 18 15 2
High Point HPU 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 6 10 1

W: Ross, Austin (5-2) L: SERGENT,J (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

PODARAS HAS CAREER DAY; RADFORD TAKES SERIES FINALE 18-6 AT HPU

GAME INFORMATION
  • Radford 18, High Point 6
  • Records: Highlanders (9-13, 2-4 Big South) | Panthers (12-11, 4-2 Big South)
  • Location: Williard Stadium | High Point, N.C.
                                      
HIGH POINT, N.C. – Radford's bats caught fire in the series finale as the Highlanders scored 15 straight runs in a 18-6 thrashing of High Point led by a four-hit, five-RBI performance from sophomore Straton Podaras.
 
The 18 Highlander runs came on a day in which four Highlanders finished with multi-hit performances, including three with three-plus hits.
 
Andrew Szamski and Matt Roth followed Podaras with three hits each. The duo also reached base four times on the day. Roth matched a career high with three RBIs, while Szamski tallied his fifth multi-RBI game on the season.
 
After connecting for four home runs in Friday's doubleheader, High Point opened Sunday with another as Austen Zente worked a 2-2 count on Radford starter Austin Ross, taking the sixth pitch of the game to right for the opposite field home run.
 
The early run was erased in the next frame as Radford placed two on base with two outs as Will Harless reached on a fielders' choice and Roth followed with a first pitch single up the middle. The two runners would move into scoring position after a balk from Jordan Sergent.
 
As the Highlanders came out swinging early, Podaras drove a Sergent first pitch into the left-center field gap to give Radford its first lead of the series. Podaras' fourth double of the season handed Radford a 2-1 edge.
 
After allowing the home run to start the game, Ross yielded only three hits over the next four frames as the Highlanders would give the redshirt senior some breathing room in the fourth.
 
Reaching as the leadoff batter twice on the day, Szamski began the fourth inning with a walk. Garrett Matheny followed with another Radford double to left-center, putting two runners on base with no outs.
 
The Highlanders added two more runs as Harless' second sacrifice fly of the series plated Szamski and was deep enough to allow Matheny to tag up. Roth was rewarded by the sac fly as his ground ball to short scored Matheny.
 
Radford added two more runs in the fifth after the Highlanders first two batters were retired on four pitches. Colby Higgerson kept the inning afloat with an infield single, swiping second and moving to third on High Point's second balk.
 
Higgerson would score on the eighth pitch to Spencer Horwitz that skipped away from the catcher as Horwitz trotted to first base. Collecting an extra base hit in four straight games, Szamski pushed the Radford lead to 7-1 with a two-run shot over the left-center fence.
 
Ross closed out his day with his second three up, three down frame in the bottom half as he allowed only three hits after the leadoff home run, striking out four in his fifth victory on the season. Making his first start since March 9, 2016, Ross picked up his second career win as a starter.
 
Podaras continued his career day with another two-RBI base hit as his single increased the score to 9-1 in the sixth. Matching a career best three hits with the single, Podaras had four RBIs through six. Moving to second on the throw home, Podaras advanced to third on a Richard De la Cruz sac bunt and scoring on a wild pitch. The three-run inning was the second straight by the Highlanders.
 
Radford put up another crooked number on the scoreboard in the seventh as Roth joined Szamski with three home runs on the season, sending a two-run shot to left-center field. The junior finished with his first three-hit game on the season and first multi-RBI performance.
 
The Highlanders added three more runs on a pair of sacrifice flies off the bats of Higgerson and Horwitz, while Kyle Butler crossed the plate on a passed ball.
 
High Point snapped Radford's 15 straight runs in the bottom half of the frame on a Conner Dunbar two-run triple.
 
In the eighth, Roth earned a two-out walk to reach base safely for the fourth time on the day. Moving up to second on High Point's third passed ball, Roth scored for the fourth time as Podaras followed with his second RBI double.
 
Butler became the seventh different Highlander with a RBI on the day as his single to left field scored Pordaras, increasing Radford's lead to 14 runs.
 
Radford's 18th and final run of the day came on a wild pitch in the ninth as Szamski reached on a single and Harless on his first collegiate double. The Panthers had five wild pitches in the game.
 
The Panthers added three runs in the bottom half of the ninth on a Travis Holt RBI double and a Radford throwing error that allowed two runs to score.
 
Radford's 17 runs are the most since the 25-run outpour against James Madison on May 3, 2015.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Austin Ross (5-2) (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)
  • Loss: Jordan Sergent (1-1) (3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K)
  • With the win, Ross becomes Radford's first starting pitcher to earn a win on the season.
  • Despite 24 runs being scored on 25 hits, the game only took 3:07.
  • Radford's 15 hits are the most on the season after the Highlanders tallied only 13 hits in the first two games of the series.
  • The Highlanders have six double-digit hit games on the season.
  • Radford's seven extra base hits match a season high and the five doubles also match a season best.
  • Straton Podaras had two two-hit games on the season, while joining Andrew Szamski as the only two Highlanders with four-hit games on the season.
  • Becoming the second Highlander to drive in five runs on the season, Podaras previously drove in three runs against UNC Asheville on May 7, 2017.
  • Szamski now has eight multi-hit games, trailing Kyle Butler by one, who picked up his ninth multi-hit game on the season.
  • The multi-hit game was the 33rd in Butler's last 79 games.
  • Butler pushed his on-base streak to eight games.
  • Matt Roth picked up only the third three-hit game of his career, while matching a career high in RBIs, driving in three against High Point on May 25, 2017 in the Big South Tournament.
  • Roth crossed the plate a career best four times, while Podaras and Szamski finished with three runs each.
  • High Point pitchers combined for 21 strikeouts in the first two games, while Radford struck out only four times on Sunday, matching a season low.

QUOTABLE
  • "Hopefully we can build off of this win. [Austin] Ross gave us a really good start and we needed to get off to a good start. We put some good swings on the ball and had timely hits with runners on base. It was an important win for this team." ~ Radford head coach Joe Raccuia

UP NEXT
  • Radford will play its first midweek game in 20 days due to recent inclement weather as the Highlanders travel to in-state foe VMI on Tuesday for a 4 p.m., contest.
  • The Highlanders went 2-1 against the Keydets a season ago, holding a 30-23-1 edge in the all-time series.
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