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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Horwitz-20180329
Jonathan Huff (www.apertureone.net)
9
Winner Radford RAD 10-13, 4-2 BSC
6
Charleston Southern CSU 8-18, 0-6 BSC
Winner
Radford RAD
10-13, 4-2 BSC
9
Final
6
Charleston Southern CSU
8-18, 0-6 BSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Radford RAD 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 9 11 0
Charleston Southern CSU 0 0 3 1 0 2 0 0 0 6 10 2

W: Donovan, Brandon (0-0) L: STOUDEMIRE, Ryan (0-0)

Game Recap: Baseball |

HIGHLANDERS RALLY FOR FIVE RUNS IN THE NINTH TO SWEEP CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

Charleston, South Carolina– The Radford baseball team came up with some ninth inning magic as the Highlanders scored five runs in their final at bat, en route to a 9-6 victory on Sunday afternoon against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. Radford has now won four straight and swept the three-game series from the Bucs to improve to 4-2 in the Big South Conference. 
 
Radford's (10-13) first three batters in the lineup combined to go 8-for-14 with two homers and eight RBI in the contest. First baseman Spencer Horwitz (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI) produced the game-winning hit with a one-out, two-run double in the top of the ninth. Right fielder Andrew Szamski (3-for-5, HR, 4 RBI) and second baseman Kyle Butler (3-for-5, RBI) also had clutch hits in the ninth.
 
Radford trailed 6-4 entering the ninth but rallied for five runs on five hits to get the victory. Shortstop Colby Higgerson struck out to open the inning, but the Highlanders came up with five straight hits to stun the home crowd.
 
Catcher Straton Podaras ignited the comeback with a single up the middle, Jimmy Goldsmith came through with a pinch hit single through the right side, and Butler followed with an RBI single up the middle. 
 
The Bucs replaced reliever Ryan Stoudemire with Tyler Weekley to try and stop the bleeding, but the gritty Highlanders continued to apply the pressure.  Weekley unloaded a wild pitch to advance pinch runner David Bryant to third and Butler over to second.  Horwitz then sat on a 3-1 pitch and laced a go-ahead two-run double to center. Szamski provided some insurance as he followed up with an RBI single to left to score Horwitz.
 
CSU (8-18, 0-6 BSC) went quietly in the bottom of the ninth as reliever Brandon Donovan (1-2) retired the Bucsin order to pick up the victory.
 
For the second consecutive day, the Highlanders hit back-to-back home runs in the opening inning to take the lead.  Horwitz connected on the first pitch he saw from starter Cody Maw with a drive over the center field wall, his fifth homer of the season. Szamski followed with his fourth blast to left center on a 3-2 pitch.
 
The hosts scored three runs in the bottom of the third to grab a 3-2 advantage and chased starter Cole Dunn in the process. Reliever Andrew Nardi came in and allowed a two-run single to first baseman Sam Trend-Beacom and right fielder Payton Holdsworth followed with an RBI single.
 
The Bucs added a run in the bottom of the fourth as Stoudemire took Nardi deep with a drive over the left center field wall.
 
The Highlanders got even in the top of the fifth as they came up with a pair of runs on two knocks. Podaras led off with a walk and advanced to second when center fielder Carlin Christian got plunked on the first pitch. Butler then executed a bunt single to load the bases for Horwitz, who struck out looking. Szamski, however, singled up the middle to bring in Christian and Butler with the tying runs. Radford was unable to take the lead as designated hitter J.D. Mundy grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
 
Charleston Southern grabbed a 6-4 lead with two runs on a pair of hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. Center fielder Josh Litchfield recorded the big hit as he homered down the right field line off Nardi.
 
The Highlanders went down quietly in the seventh and eighth innings until pulling out the dramatic comeback in the ninth.
 
Donovan allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings and fanned three batters out of the pen.

Radford will host Appalachian State on Tuesday evening at 5:00 p.m.

Notes
Radford's pitchers held the hosts to a .202 batting average in the series and fanned 27 hitters...Horwitz went 5-for-13 with two homers, 13 total bases and 5 RBI in the series...He is a team-best 8-for-23 (.348) with runners in scoring position this season...Butler was also 5-for-13 in the series...Szamski went 5-for-15 and drove in five runs...He is 8 for his last 20 with 7 RBI's over a 4-game stretch...Mundy hit a pair of homers and drove in four.
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