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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Donovan-20180520
Jonathan Huff (www.apertureone.net)
4
Winner USC Upstate UPST 14-16
3
Radford RAD 14-15
Winner
USC Upstate UPST
14-16
4
Final
3
Radford RAD
14-15
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
USC Upstate UPST 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 10 2
Radford RAD 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 6 1

W: MARKS, Jordan (3-4) L: Ridgely, Zack (1-2) S: WHEELER, Will (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

HIGHLANDERS EDGED BY USC UPSTATE, 4-3, ON FRIDAY EVENING IN SERIES OPENER

Radford, Va. – The Radford baseball team had their six-game Big South Conference win streak stopped by USC Upstate as the visiting Spartans edged the Highlanders, 4-3, on Friday evening at Carter Memorial Stadium.
 
Highlanders' catcher Straton Podaras scored two runs and hit his second home run of the season and left fielder Adam Whitacre added an RBI.
 
Radford starter Zack Ridgely (1-2) allowed three runs (two earned) in two innings and suffered the loss. Reliever Brandon Donovan was terrific in relief of Ridgely as the right-hander allowed just a run and fanned a season-high five batters over four innings of work. Ryan Bywaters (0.1 inning) and Cameron Fritz (2.2 innings, 3 K's) combined to pitch three scoreless frames.
 
The Highlanders had a hard time solving Spartan starter Jordan Marks (6.0 innings, five hits, two earned runs) and reliever Will Wheeler (3.0 innings, hit, no runs). Marks improved to 3-4 and Wheeler picked up his third save.
 
USC Upstate (14-16, 3-7 Big South) scored three runs in the second inning off Ridgely and led for the rest of the contest.  Left fielder Jeff Taylor, who made two outstanding catches in the contest, produced an RBI single up the middle to score third baseman Garett Wallace for the first run of the night.  Taylor then came around to score on a throwing error by third baseman Matt Roth. Shortstop Jason Matthews lifted a sacrifice fly to score first baseman Stone Stephenson with the third run.
 
Radford (14-15, 7-3 Big South) got a run back in the bottom of the second inning when second baseman David Bryant reached on an error.  Catcher Straton Podaras (walk) came around to score on the play but Roth was thrown out at the plate.
 
The visitors scored their final run in the top of the third as Stephenson singled to right field off Donovan, driving in second baseman Andres Kim.
 
The Highlanders scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to close within a run.  Right fielder Andrew Szamski opened the frame with a sharp single to left and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Designated hitter J.D. Mundy moved Szamski over to third with a groundout and Whitacre produced an RBI groundout on the next play. Podaras followed with a solo shot over the left field fence for what turned out to be the final run of the game.
 
The Highlanders received a one-out pinch-hit single in the ninth from Jimmy Goldsmith, but a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play ended the contest. Shortstop Colby Higgerson was the strike out victim and pinch-runner Garrett Matheny was gunned down at second by catcher Austin Morgan.
 
The Highlanders and Spartans will play the middle game of their three-game set on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
 
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