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Radford University Athletics

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Szamski-20180326
Radford Athletics Communications
7
Winner USC Upstate UPST 15-17
6
Radford RAD 15-16
Winner
USC Upstate UPST
15-17
7
Final
6
Radford RAD
15-16
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
USC Upstate UPST 2 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 7 13 4
Radford RAD 1 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 6 6 3

W: VAN DER WEIDE, Trey (1-2) L: Nardi, Andrew (2-1) S: WHEELER, Will (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

HIGHLANDERS EDGED BY USC UPSTATE, 7-6, IN RUBBER GAME OF THREE-GAME SERIES

Radford, Va. – The Radford baseball team was edged by the USC Spartans, 7-6, in the rubber game of their three-game Big South Conference series at Carter Memorial Stadium on Sunday morning. The Highlanders were limited to six hits in the game and fell to 15-16 (8-4) in the league.
 
Right fielder Andrew Szamski extended his hitting streak to 10 games as he went 1-for-4 with a home run and four RBI's.  First baseman Spencer Horwitz also drove in a run and went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
 
Senior Andrew Nardi (2-1) took his first loss of the season as he allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in 4.2 innings of relief.  Nardi (3 strikeouts) replaced starter Cole Dunn with one out in the top of the second inning after the freshman yielded three runs (one earned) on five hits.
 
The Spartans (15-17, 4-8 Big South) scored a pair of unearned runs off Dunn in the top of the first inning.  Dunn had an opportunity to get out of the inning unscathed after Highlander third baseman Matt Roth gunned down Andres Kim (reached on error) at the plate for the second out.  However, right fielder Julian Rip doubled to left to drive in third baseman Garett Wallace (fielder's choice) and designated hitter J.J. Shimko (single).
 
Radford got a run back in the bottom of the frame as Rip committed errors on back-to-back plays.  He dropped a routine fly ball in right off the bat of lead-off hitter Kyle Butler, allowing the center fielder to take second. Horwitz then lined a single to right, which scored Butler after Rip bobbled the ball.
 
The visitors answered with a run on three hits in the top of the second and chased Dunn in the process. Nardi entered from the pen and induced an inning-ending double play to limit the damage.
 
The Highlanders trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the third as Szamski produced an RBI sacrifice fly after Butler led-off with a double to right.
 
The hosts knotted the contest at 3-3 with a run in the fifth as they were able to take advantage of a lead-off error.  Butler reached on shortstop Jason Matthews' mistake and advanced to second. Horwitz then followed with an RBI single to even things up.
 
The Spartans went ahead for good as they pushed three runs across in the top of the sixth. Nardi yielded three hits and his defense committed a pair of errors behind him.  Center fielder Jack Hennessy recorded an RBI sacrifice fly, first baseman Stone Stephenson had an RBI single and then came around to score on an error by shortstop Colby Higgerson.
 
USC Upstate took a 7-3 lead in the top of the seventh as right fielder Drake Harris came up with an RBI single off reliever Austin Gerber.
 
Radford scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to inch within a single run. Butler and Horwitz drew consecutive one-out walks and Szamski hammered a three-run blast to left center, his team-leading seventh homer of the season.
 
Freshman reliever Graham Firoved (2.2 innings, no runs, 3 K's) kept Radford within striking distance, however, the Highlanders were retired in order in their final two at bats and fell one-run short.
 
Radford will host VMI on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
 
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