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Radford Athletics Communications
2
Campbell CAM 29-23, 19-6 BSC
3
Winner Radford RAD 24-28, 14-11 BSC
Campbell CAM
29-23, 19-6 BSC
2
Final
3
Radford RAD
24-28, 14-11 BSC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Campbell CAM 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 3
Radford RAD 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 3 7 1

W: Ross, Austin (9-4) L: NOBLE, Wes (6-6) S: Palmer, Kyle (5)

Game Recap: Baseball |

PITCHING DOMINATES IN SERIES OPENING WIN AGAINST CAMPBELL

GAME INFORMATION
  • Radford 3, Campbell 2
  • Records: Highlanders (24-28, 14-11 Big South) | Fighting Camels (29-23, 19-6 Big South)
  • Location: Carter Memorial Stadium | Radford, Va.
                                      
RADFORD, Va. – Pitching dominated in a Radford 3-2 series opening victory against Campbell as Highlander pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, holding the Fighting Camels to a mere five hits as inclement weather threatened the series curtain raiser.
 
Playing a Thursday, Friday and Saturday series due to the final regular season weekend of the 2018 season; Radford (24-28, 14-11) came out with a punch scoring three runs on four hits in the first two frames.
 
The Highlanders earned their third straight Big South series opening win as Luke Wise opened the bottom half of the first with a double into right-center, racing into second as the Campbell (29-23, 19-6) outfield tested Wise's speed.
 
Moving over on a Kyle Butler ground out, Spencer Horwitz became the sixth Big South player on the season to drive in 40-plus runs as he lined a first pitch into left field to score Wise easily.
 
Improving to 11-4 when scoring in the first inning and 14-10 when scoring first, Radford added two more runs in the second. Straton Podaras led off the frame with a single to left-center and Colby Higgerson followed with a bloop double into right field.
 
Richard De la Cruz plated the second run on an RBI ground out to second base. Radford proceeded to load the bases as Garrett Matheny earned a walk and Wise reached on a Campbell throwing error. Butler provided the third and final Radford run with a bases loaded walk for his 29th RBI.
 
Striking out two in the second inning and three in the game, Austin Ross' only blemish in his short start in preparation for next week's conference tournament came in the third inning.
 
Campbell's two runs came via a Matthew Barefoot long ball to center field that scored Bryce Myers, who reached on a single. The Fighting Camels managed two hits in the third and two in the eighth.
 
Receiving the early lead in the short start, Ross was set up to collect his Big South leading ninth win as Andrew Nardi took over in the fourth.
 
Nardi came out of the Radford bullpen dealing as the lefty struck out eight batters over four relief innings, yielding only a hit in the sixth. The junior punched out three batters each in the sixth and seventh innings, falling a strikeout short of matching a career high.
 
In his last 7.2 innings out of the bullpen, Nardi has only allowed three hits, while striking out nine batters.
 
Kyle Palmer took over in the eighth, giving up only two hits as he collected the six-out save for his fifth on the season.
 
After plating the three early runs, Campbell's bullpen held the Highlander lineup quiet, allowing only three hits in the final six innings.
 
Horwitz extended his hitting streak to 12 straight, while collecting his 17th multi-hit game on the season as the sophomore finished as the only player with a multi-hit game on the day.
 
Radford's 3-2 victory sets the Highlanders up in good shape to either finish third, fourth or fifth in the conference standings. The Highlanders could earn the three seed if it sweeps Campbell and Liberty loses two games to Winthrop. Radford would earn the fourth seed if it wins tomorrow and Winthrop loses two games to Liberty.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Win: Austin Ross (9-4) (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)
  • Loss: Wes Noble (6-6) (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)
  • Save: Kyle Palmer (5)
  • Ross becomes only the fourth Highlander to win nine-plus games in a season. Ross improves to 11-12 in his career.
  • The redshirt senior could match Michael Boyle's season record of 10 wins set in 2015 in the Big South Tournament.
  • Finishing with three strikeouts, Ross is seven away from 150 in his career.
  • Andrew Nardi's eight strikeouts are a season high for the left-hander and the most since a nine-strikeout performance at Elon (Feb. 21, 2017).
  • Radford struck out double-digit batters for the eighth time on the season and fourth in Big South play.
  • Spencer Horwitz now has 37 multi-hit games in 108 career games. The sophomore also has 74 RBIs during that span.
  • Richard De la Cruz collected his fourth RBI in the last five games.
  • Colby Higgerson extended his on-base streak to 14 straight games.
  • The Highlander defense turned its 40th double on the season.
 
ON DECK
  • Radford goes for its sixth straight series win Big South series win on Friday at 2 p.m.
  • The win would mark Radford's sixth straight series over Campbell since 2012.
  • Probables: LHP Hunter Williams (1-3, 5.14) vs. RHP Michael Horrell (6-3, 3.17)
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