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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
Butler-20180413
Radford Athletics Communications
5
VMI VMI 8-25
7
Winner Radford RAD 16-16
VMI VMI
8-25
5
Final
7
Radford RAD
16-16
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
VMI VMI 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 5 16 0
Radford RAD 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 X 7 12 1

W: Bywaters, Ryan (1-0) L: SANDERS (0-3) S: Fritz, Cameron (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

SEVEN DIFFERENT HIGHLANDERS DRIVE IN A RUN IN 7-5 VICTORY AGAINST VMI

Radford, Va. – The Radford baseball team got back to the .500 mark after defeating the VMI Keydets, 7-5, on Tuesday evening at Carter Memorial Stadium.  The Highlanders recorded 12 hits, including five that went for extra-bases. Radford, who is now 16-16, took both contests against the Keydets this season as they also won in Lexington on March 19.
 
Center fielder Kyle Butler drove in a run and went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple to lead the Highlander attack.  Designated hitter J.D. Mundy and shortstop Colby Higgerson also added a pair of hits. All nine starters recorded a hit and seven different Highlanders drove in a run.
 
Right-hander Ryan Bywaters recorded his first win of the season in his first start of 2019. Bywaters allowed a run and yielded seven hits over three innings of work.  Cameron Fritz pitched the final two innings to earn his first save. Fritz allowed a hit, a walk and fanned a pair of Keydets.
 
VMI (8-25) scored a run on three hits against Bywaters in the opening inning as right fielder Don Goodes singled to left to plate center fielder Will Knight.
 
Radford responded with four runs in their half of the first as they battered Keydet starter Zach Sanders for five hits.  Butler opened the inning with a triple down the right field line and first baseman Spencer Horwitz followed with an RBI ground out. Mundy, right fielder Andrew Szamski and left fielder Adam Whitacre (RBI) then recorded three straight singles to make it 2-0. Catcher Straton Podaras followed with an RBI sacrifice fly and Higgerson delivered an RBI single.
 
The Highlanders extended their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI sacrifice fly by Szamski.  Butler opened the frame with a walk and moved to third on a double to left center by Horwitz.
 
The Keydets closed to within 5-3 in the top of the fourth after scoring a pair of runs on three hits off Brandon Feathers.
 
Radford got a run back in the bottom of the sixth as second baseman David Bryant opened the inning with a bunt single. Butler followed with a double down the left field line to score Bryant.
 
The hosts struck again in the seventh as third baseman Matt Roth hit a ringing double to left center to score Podaras, who drew a two-out walk to keep the inning alive.
 
VMI made things interesting, trimming the deficit to 7-5 with two runs on two hits and a pair of walks off reliever Austin Gerber in the top of the eighth.  Fritz came on with runners on second and third and walked third baseman Jake Huggins to load the bases. Designated hitter Nathan Lloyd followed with an RBI single and shortstop Josh Hollifield contributed a fielder's choice RBI.  The Keydets were poised to get even closer but Podaras nailed Hollifield as he tried to take second base on a pitch in the dirt. Fritz then got out of the inning without further damage as he retired Goodes on a fly ball to left field.

Radford will travel to Big South leader Campbell for a three-game series beginning on Friday evening.
 
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