BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Radford baseball program found itself on the wrong side of an instant classic as despite the strong offensive outburst, the Highlanders suffered a 10-9 walk off defeat to host Gardner-Webb to open the three-game Big South series on Friday night.
 
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Radford – 9, Gardner-Webb – 10
LOCATION: Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium (Boiling Springs, North Carolina)
RECORDS: Radford 14-19 (3-7 Big South), GWU 15-20 (5-5 Big South)
 
THE BREAKDOWN
- Tyler Sparrer continues to swing a hot stick as he finished with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate to go with a game-best five runs batted in. His night included a grand slam, a RBI single and a run scored. The five RBI were tied for the 11th most posted in a game by a Big South student-athlete so far this season.
- Eli Hudgins also had a huge evening with a 1-for-4 performance that featured his own three-run shot, four RBI in total, two runs and a base on balls.
- The RBI outburst set a new career high for Sparrer while Hudgins tied his season and career best in the category, respectively.
- Breckin Nace added a 3-for-5 showing at the dish along with a base on balls. He came around to score a game high three times.
- Nace also got the start on the mound and fired 4.1 innings of work. His night included three strikeouts and just a single hit against, despite the three earned runs allowed.
- Hunter Keen (1-for-4, two runs score, one walk), James Ward (1-for-3, one run, one base on balls), Tyler Kehoe (1-for-3, one walk) and Noah Toole (1-for-4) also chipped in on the offensive end for the Highlanders.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Radford got the scoring started right away as Hudgins sent a bomb over the left field fence to plate three as the Highlanders took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
- Gardner-Webb knotted things up again at 3-3 with three runs of its own in the bottom of the second.
- The Highlanders answered right back with two runs in the top of the third to retake a 5-2 edge.
- The Bulldogs started to battle back with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Sparrer and Radford responded once again with a grand slam in the top of the seventh to make it a 9-4 game.
- Gardner-Webb wasn't done there though with a run in the bottom of the eighth to cut things to 9-5.
- The Bulldogs loaded the bases, but were done to their final out before they went off for five runs in the bottom of the ninth to collect the walk off win.
 
NEXT UP
Radford and Gardner-Webb get right back to it with game two of the series set for Saturday, April 12. First pitch is scheduled for 3 PM ET from Moss Stadium and the conference clash will be played in front of a national audience on ESPN+.

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