
RADFORD FALLS IN 6-3 BATTLE TO NO. 2 HIGH POINT
5/23/2018 9:00:00 PM | Baseball
GAME INFORMATION
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Radford's late inning comeback was not enough to overcome a 6-3 loss to No. 2 High Point Wednesday afternoon as the Highlanders stranded 10 runners on base in their first loss of the 2018 Big South Base Championships.
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Totaling nine hits, Radford had three finish with multi-hit performances as Luke Wise, Spencer Horwitz and Matt Roth collected with two hits each. Wise provided two RBIs for three in the tournament.
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High Point jumped on Radford early as the Panthers put two runners on base with a pair of hit by pitches in the bottom of the first, taking the early lead on a Carson Jackson two-run double down the line to give High Point an early lead it wouldn't surrender.
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Radford collected three hits in the first four frames, putting a runner on second base twice as Colby Higgerson provided a double in the second and Horwitz singled in the fourth, moving up on a wild pitch.
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Following the two-run first, Radford starter Mack Krupp held the Panthers to two hits through four frames, striking out three batters.
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Still trailing 2-0, Radford received its best chance to knot the game or take the lead in the top of the fifth. Straton Podaras led the inning off with a hit by pitch and Richard De la Cruz followed with a single up the middle. After a Garrett Matheny sacrifice bunt, Wise loaded the bases with a walk.
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Following a Kyle Butler strikeout, Horwitz hit a ground ball up the middle that High Point shortstop Conner Dunbar made a nice play on up the middle to keep the Panther 2-0 lead intact.
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A momentum change in the fifth swung toward High Point's dugout as the Panthers tallied five hits in the frame, scoring four runs. The Panthers recorded three one-RBI doubles to push lead to 6-0.
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It's only inning with two hits, Roth collected the first of his two hits on the day with a one-out single up the middle for Radford. With two outs, Podaras lined a double down the left field line as Roth raced around the bases. A well-executed relay play by High Point nabbed Roth at the plate.
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Out of the bullpen, Brandon Donovan tossed a career-high three shutout innings, striking out three batters. Dononvan's performance kept the Highlanders in the game and the Panthers off the board.
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Not going away, Radford scratched across a run in the seventh as Matheny reached on a hit by pitch. Wise followed with a two-run shot down the right field line for his third round-tripper on the season, cutting the deficit to four runs.
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Roth followed with a solo shot in the eighth for his sixth on the season, inching within three runs of the Panthers. With the home run, Roth now has 18 multi-hit games on the season.
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Radford put runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth, however they were unable to plate another run in the 6-3 loss, switching over to the loser's bracket as a result of the loss.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
ON DECK
- No. 2 High Point 6, No. 6 Radford 3
- Records: Panthers (33-21) | Highlanders (25-31)
- Location: Liberty Baseball Stadium | Lynchburg, Va.
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Radford's late inning comeback was not enough to overcome a 6-3 loss to No. 2 High Point Wednesday afternoon as the Highlanders stranded 10 runners on base in their first loss of the 2018 Big South Base Championships.
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Totaling nine hits, Radford had three finish with multi-hit performances as Luke Wise, Spencer Horwitz and Matt Roth collected with two hits each. Wise provided two RBIs for three in the tournament.
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High Point jumped on Radford early as the Panthers put two runners on base with a pair of hit by pitches in the bottom of the first, taking the early lead on a Carson Jackson two-run double down the line to give High Point an early lead it wouldn't surrender.
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Radford collected three hits in the first four frames, putting a runner on second base twice as Colby Higgerson provided a double in the second and Horwitz singled in the fourth, moving up on a wild pitch.
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Following the two-run first, Radford starter Mack Krupp held the Panthers to two hits through four frames, striking out three batters.
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Still trailing 2-0, Radford received its best chance to knot the game or take the lead in the top of the fifth. Straton Podaras led the inning off with a hit by pitch and Richard De la Cruz followed with a single up the middle. After a Garrett Matheny sacrifice bunt, Wise loaded the bases with a walk.
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Following a Kyle Butler strikeout, Horwitz hit a ground ball up the middle that High Point shortstop Conner Dunbar made a nice play on up the middle to keep the Panther 2-0 lead intact.
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A momentum change in the fifth swung toward High Point's dugout as the Panthers tallied five hits in the frame, scoring four runs. The Panthers recorded three one-RBI doubles to push lead to 6-0.
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It's only inning with two hits, Roth collected the first of his two hits on the day with a one-out single up the middle for Radford. With two outs, Podaras lined a double down the left field line as Roth raced around the bases. A well-executed relay play by High Point nabbed Roth at the plate.
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Out of the bullpen, Brandon Donovan tossed a career-high three shutout innings, striking out three batters. Dononvan's performance kept the Highlanders in the game and the Panthers off the board.
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Not going away, Radford scratched across a run in the seventh as Matheny reached on a hit by pitch. Wise followed with a two-run shot down the right field line for his third round-tripper on the season, cutting the deficit to four runs.
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Roth followed with a solo shot in the eighth for his sixth on the season, inching within three runs of the Panthers. With the home run, Roth now has 18 multi-hit games on the season.
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Radford put runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth, however they were unable to plate another run in the 6-3 loss, switching over to the loser's bracket as a result of the loss.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Win: Andrew Gottfried (6-5) (6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K)
- Loss: Mack Krupp (0-5) (4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)
- High Point combined for 13 strikeouts, while Radford's staff only struck out six.
- Only four combined walks were issued by both teams.
- Radford's bullpen has thrown 7.0 innings of shutout baseball, yielding only six hits and three walks.
- Radford stranded 10 runners on base, while High Point left eight men.
- A day after putting six of its nine leadoff men on base on Tuesday, Radford only put two leadoff batters on.
- Of Radford's nine hits, four came as extra-base hits.
- Spencer Horwitz's multi-hit game gave him 20 on the season.
- Matt Roth has three hits in the tournament after his multi-hit game gives him 18 on the season.
- Richard De la Cruz joins Roth as the only two Highlanders with three hits in the tournament.
- Luke Wise's two-RBI game is his third on the season.
- Radford multi-home run game is the eighth on the season for the Highlanders.
- Of Radford's 34 home runs hit on the season, 24 have come against Big South teams.
- Colby Higgerson extended his on-base streak to 16 straight games.
- The loss snaps Radford's two-game winning streak against High Point in the tournament, falling to 3-4 against the Panthers.
ON DECK
- Radford will now face No. 3 Liberty in a loser's bracket elimination game on Wednesday afternoon.
- First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
- Radford defeated Liberty 4-1 on Tuesday to advance to the winner's bracket.
- The game will serve as the last matchup between Radford and Liberty as Big South opponents.
- Probables: LHP Hunter Williams (1-4, 5.03) vs. LHP Vinnie Tarantola (1-1, 4.20)
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: GOTTFRIED,A (6-5)
L: Krupp, Mack (0-5)

Batting:
2B: Higgerson, Colby 1 ; Podaras, Straton 1
HR: Wise, Luke 1 ; Roth, Matt 1
RBI: Wise, Luke 2 ; Roth, Matt 1
SH: Matheny, Garrett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wise, Luke 1 ; Roth, Matt 1 ; Matheny, Garrett 1
HBP: Podaras, Straton 1 ; Matheny, Garrett 1

Batting:
2B: LEE,H 1 ; WELLS,T 1 ; JACKSON,C 2 ; SERGENT,J 1
RBI: HOLT,T 1 ; LEE,H 1 ; WELLS,T 1 ; JACKSON,C 2 ; SERGENT,J 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ZENTE,A 1 ; HOLT,T 1 ; LEE,H 2 ; WELLS,T 2
SB: ZENTE,A 1 ; LEE,H 1 ; WELLS,T 1
HBP: HOLT,T 1 ; LEE,H 1 ; WELLS,T 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Thursday, April 23
Sunday, April 12
Thursday, April 02
Saturday, March 21
























