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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
matheny
6
Radford RAD 4-4
7
Winner USC Upstate UPST 7-0
Radford RAD
4-4
6
Final
7
USC Upstate UPST
7-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Radford RAD 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 0 6 13 0
USC Upstate UPST 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 X 7 14 0

W: MORGAN, A. (1-0) L: Hudson, Bruce (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Radford Edged by USC Upstate in Big South Opener

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Radford scored six runs across the sixth and seventh innings Friday afternoon, but USC Upstate defeated the visiting Highlanders in the Big South Conference opener for both teams, 7-6, at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
 
USC Upstate took an early lead with runs in both the first and second innings coming off RBI doubles. The Spartans added a third run in the fifth on a double down the line and led 3-0 prior to the Radford bats waking up.
 
The Highlanders batted around the order in the sixth inning, scoring four to take the lead. Radford opened the inning with four straight singles from Garrett Matheny, Sean Cheely, Dac Archer and Connor Bagnieski, scoring a pair in the process.
 
After a sacrifice bunt by Straton Podaras and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Anthony Galati tied the game, Will Harless gave Radford its first lead of the contest with a single to left.
 
Upstate scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead back but the Highlanders responded with two runs in the seventh. Matheny singled to lead off the inning and Archer doubled to put runners on second and third. After a wild pitch scored Matheny to tie the game, Podaras hit a sacrifice fly to left to give Radford the lead, 6-5. Podaras' sac fly would've been an extra-base hit had Upstate's Jeff Taylor not made a diving catch.
 
The Spartans tied the game on an RBI single in the seventh, then used a squeeze play to push across the go-ahead run in the eighth. Radford left the tying run stranded at second in the ninth, as the home side held on for the series-opening victory.
 
STAT OF THE GAME
Despite the loss, Radford pounded out a season-best 13 hits in the game, with nine of those hits coming in the final four innings.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Matheny and Archer each had three-hit games for the Highlanders in the loss. The three hits are a new career high for Archer, while it tied Matheny's career high, which was set in 2018. Bagnieski had a season-high two hits and reached base three times in four plate appearances. All nine Highlanders in the lineup had either a hit or RBI. Greg Duncan started on the mound for Radford and went six innings with four strikeouts.
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders and Spartans close their series Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

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.
 
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