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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Butler-20180404
Jonathan Huff (www.apertureone.net)
9
Winner ETSU ETSU 15-10
8
Radford RAD 10-18
Winner
ETSU ETSU
15-10
9
Final
8
Radford RAD
10-18
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
ETSU ETSU 2 1 4 0 0 0 1 1 0 9 10 3
Radford RAD 0 0 4 0 3 0 1 0 0 8 12 5

W: Carter Linton (1-0) L: Alderman, Trey (0-2) S: James Giambalvo (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

RADFORD FALLS 9-8 IN HARD-FOUGHT GAME AGAINST ETSU

GAME INFORMATION
  • ETSU 9, Radford 8
  • Records: Buccaneers (15-10) | Highlanders (10-18)
  • Location: Carter Memorial Stadium | Radford, Va.
                                      
RADFORD, Va. – Trailing by seven runs early, Radford scored seven unanswered, but wasn't enough for a comeback as the Highlanders dropped a hard-fought 9-8 contest to ETSU on a chilly Wednesday night inside Carter Memorial Stadium.

Despite outhitting ETSU 12-10, Radford committed five miscues in the field, resulting in three runs. The Highlanders outhit an opponent for the second straight game, falling to 8-3 on the season when doing so.

Dropping its last five inside Carter Memorial, Radford gave up a home run in the opening inning for the third straight game as Chris Cook opened the game with a two-run shot to right field. In the first inning, opponents are outscoring the Highlanders 28-6.

Aaron Maher added a RBI double in the second and the Bucs blew the game open in the third with four runs. First two runs came on a single and ground out. Two more runs scored on two separate throwing errors in attempt to catch two Bucs stealing.

ETSU tallied the first seven runs on six hits and two errors as the Highlanders were held hitless in the first two frames.

Richard De la Cruz and Carlin Christian opened the third inning with a pair of singles. Leading four Highlanders on the night with two hits apiece, Kyle Butler doubled down the left field line, plating De la Cruz easily.

As Christian was held up at third base, Radford had two runners in scoring position with no outs. Colby Higgerson fouled off several pitches, before giving Radford its second run on a sacrifice fly to right field.

Radford put runners on the corners as Spencer Horwitz walked on four pitches. Matt Roth followed with a first pitch single up the middle to score Butler. Radford's third run of the inning forced a ETSU pitching change.

Garrett Matheny added Radford's fourth run of the inning on a single to left, cutting the deficit to three runs. Will Harless walked to load the bases with two outs as De la Cruz stepped into the box with the Highlanders batting around. Radford was unable to take advantage as the sophomore struck out looking.

Following a scoreless fourth, Radford added three more runs in the fifth. Matheny led off the inning with a walk and Luke Belanger placed a perfect single through the right side on a hit-and-run play to put Highlanders on the corners.
 
With Harless batting, Radford added two runs on chaos in the field. The freshman hit a ground ball to shortstop. As Belanger hustled to second base, Cook threw the ball past Cullen Smith at second on the fielders' choice. Matheny scored easily from third on the ground ball. Belanger hurried onto third as the ball rolled into right field.

Mahar collected the ball in shallow right field, letting go of an errant throw to third that skipped away to allow Belanger to plate Radford's sixth run of the game. Committing three errors on the night, two of ETSU's came on the same play.

After Radford collected its second out of the inning, Butler knotted the game at seven on a sac bunt.  Butler's multi-RBI game is his fifth on the season, matching the team lead.

With a new ballgame, Andrew Nardi came out of the bullpen to toss a scoreless sixth. With all the momentum shifting toward its dugout, Radford looked to take the lead in the frame. Putting two runners on with a pair of singles, the Highlanders left two stranded, which turned into the story of the night as Radford left 12 runners on base.

ETSU regained the lead in the seventh on two Radford errors. David Beam reached base and moved to second on a dropped fly ball by De la Cruz in right. Beam would later score with two outs on another dropped ball by De la Cruz.

Once again, Radford answered back with two runners on base with two outs. Sitting on a 3-2 count, Horwitz went the other way with a ground ball to third base. Unable to come up with the ground ball, Cade Gilbert's fielding error allowed Christian to score from second base.

Locked at eight, ETSU greeted newly entered Trey Alderman with a walk and sac bunt. As a Buc stood on second base, Caleb Longley's fourth hit on the night went through the right side to plate the game-winning run in the top of the eighth.

Retired in order in the bottom half of the inning, Radford opened the ninth with a hit as Anthony Miano singled into right center. Following a Christian strikeout, Butler walked to put two runners on.

With one walk-off hit in his career, Higgerson stepped up to the plate with an opportunity that his last name will be forever attached to at Radford. ETSU's closer James Giambalvo let go of a 1-1 pitch, Higgerson lined a bullet down first base line. Christian Bailey made a nice snag and stepped on first to double-up Butler, sealing the win for the Buccaneers.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Carter Linton (1-0) (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K)
  • Loss: Trey Alderman (0-2) (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K)
  • Save: James Giambalvo (3)
  • Mack Krupp worked a scoreless ninth for the Highlanders, yielding only four hits and one earned run over the last 8.1 innings pitched.
  • Radford left 12 runners on base, while ETSU left 11 runners on.
  • In the last two games, Radford stranded 21 runners. The Highlanders have stranded 45 runners during the five-game skid.
  • Kyle Butler led the team with two RBIs to go along with his two hits.
  • Butler also extended his on-base streak to 14 straight.
  • Matt Roth picked up his second straight two-hit game to give him eighth multi-hit games on the season.
  • Garrett Matheny and Richard De la Cruz were the other two Highlanders with two hits.
  • The multi-hit games are the second on the season for the duo.
  • De la Cruz has reached base safely in the last eight contests, despite hitting only .146 on the season.
  • Spencer Horwitz walked twice and Carlin Christian matched a career high with two runs scored.
  • With the home run in the first, Radford pitchers have given up 16 home runs in the last 11 games.
  • Caleb Longley (4) and Aaron Maher (3) combined for seven of ETSU's 10 hits on the night.
  • ETSU matched a season-high four stolen bases. David Beam swiped two bases to go along with his three walks.
 
 
ON DECK
  • Radford will play its second Big South road series as the Highlanders travel to Farmville, Va., for a weekend series starting Friday against Longwood.
  • The matchup will have major Big South Tournament berth implications as both teams enter with identical 2-7 conference records.
  • Longwood leads the all-time series 17-13.
  • The two teams have alternated in series wins as Radford won the series in 2013 and 2017, while Longwood took series wins in 2014 and 2016. They did not meet in the 2015 regular season.
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