LEXINGTON, Va. — The Radford baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader against VMI, taking the first game 7-6 before falling in game two by a 17-7 final in Lexington. With their win on Friday, the Highlanders earned the series victory over the Keydets.
GAME ONE
The Highlanders got on the board in the second inning, as catcher
Garrett Pancione was plunked by a 1-0 pitch with the bases loaded to drive in first baseman
Ryan Gilmore.
After VMI tied the game in the second, the Radford bats exploded with a five-run fourth inning. Shortstop
Tristan Shoemaker started the scoring with an RBI sacrifice bunt, while Pancione followed up with a base hit to left that plated center fielder
Zack Whitacre. Pancione was 1-for-3 with a run and three RBI in the game. He and
Bryson Dansberry would then come in to score on consecutive wild pitches, giving Radford a 5-1 lead.
In the fifth inning, Whitacre added an RBI single that drove in third baseman
Miles LeVere, making it a 6-1 ballgame. Two batters later, his teammate Pancione would score him with a sacrifice fly.
Radford starter
Luke VonGoedert was effective over three innings, allowing one run while striking out three. He was relieved by righty
Landon Higgerson, who also pitched three innings and recorded five strikeouts, earning the win.
Though VMI made it close at the end, RHP
Zack Mallia was able to shut the door in the seventh, retiring VMI's Owen Prince with the potential tying run on base. Mallia earned his third save of the season.
GAME TWO
Though the Highlanders (7-9) surrendered six runs in the first inning, they certainly didn't give in. In the second inning, LeVere got his team on the board with his first home run of the season, a two-run blast over the left field wall.
In the fourth, Radford continued to cut into the deficit, as left fielder
Peyton Henry drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk to make it 9-5. DH
Zack Mallia followed up with an RBI single, his second of two RBIs on the evening.
But VMI (10-7) had the defining response, adding two runs in sixth and four more in the seventh to come away victorious.
On the pitching side, the Highlanders got huge innings from LHP
Carter Seabrooke, who held the Keydets (10-7) scoreless across three frames while striking out three.
In his first career start, right fielder
Austin Stalker went 2-for-4 with two runs and a double in the losing effort. Whitacre was also productive, collecting two RBI.
KEY STATS
- DH Julian Rojas continues to mash the baseball. With a pair of hits in game one, Rojas has extended his hitting streak to seven games, over which he is batting .458 (11-for-24)
- In the last week, Higgerson has earned his first career save (Mar. 4 vs. Hartford) and win (today in game one).
- Radford is averaging 7.7 runs over their last three games.
UP NEXT
Radford will have two days off before gearing up for a two-game midweek series against Rider. First pitch on Tuesday is slated for 4 p.m.
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