HIGHLANDERS FALL IN SERIES OPENER AT MERCER

Friday, February 21

Macon, Ga.

4 p.m.

Radford University

3-2

Mercer

6-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Radford	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	1
Mercer	0	0	3	2	0	0	0	4	X	9	8	1

Photo by: Radford Athletics Communications

2/21/2020 7:41:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

MACON, Ga. – Ryan Sande went six innings in his second start of the season, but Mercer's top of the order drove in all nine of its runs in a 9-2 win over the Highlanders in Friday afternoon's series opener at OrthoGeorgia Park.

J.D. Mundy and Anthony Galati had two hits apiece for Radford, while Galati and Austin Kaplan drove in the Highlanders' lone runs of the contest.

Radford struck first in the second inning as Kaplan, making his first start as a Highlander, reached on an error that scored Mundy, and Galati singled home Straton Podaras to give the Highlanders a 2-0 lead.

Mercer scored three in the third, with a two-run homer accounting for most of the damage, and added a pair in the fourth on a two-out, two-run double.

Sande settled into a groove and retired the Bears in order in both the fifth and sixth innings, erasing the lone baserunner on a double play. Nick Breznak made his Radford debut in relief of Sande and went two innings, striking out a pair.

The Bears only had one hit after the fourth inning, but it was a hit that broke the game open, as leadoff man Colby Thomas hit a two-out grand slam in the eighth to make it a 9-2 game.

Morgan Wyatt had a pinch-hit single in the ninth for his first hit as a Highlander, but was stranded at first to end the game, as the Bears got a strikeout and a flyout to seal the win.

INSIDE THE SCORECARD
Radford hitters were plunked a season-high three times in Friday's game. Podaras allowed his first stolen base of the season, but also threw out his conference-leading sixth attempted base-stealer of the season in the second inning.

TWEET OF THE GAME

??2 | Radford's on the board! Kaplan reaches on an error in his first at-bat, scoring J.D. Mundy on the play!

?? 1
?? 0#RiseAndDefend x #Team1086 pic.twitter.com/H6wKRReMZn
— Radford Baseball (@RadfordBaseball) February 21, 2020

END 2 | Exit, stage left! Podaras throws out his sixth attempted base-stealer of the year!

?? 2
?? 0#RiseAndDefend x #Team1086
— Radford Baseball (@RadfordBaseball) February 21, 2020

UP NEXT
The Highlanders and Bears continue their weekend series with a Saturday afternoon game. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m., with Brandon Donovan scheduled to take the mound for Radford.

FOLLOW HIGHLANDER BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the Radford baseball team visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordBaseball on Twitter, 'radfordbaseball' Instagram or Radford Baseball on Facebook.