HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Radford baseball team stayed alive and will extend its stay at the 2025 Big South Conference Championships by at least one more day as the Highlanders posted a strong 9-2 victory over No. 6 seed Presbyterian in the first elimination game of the tournament inside Truist Point Stadium on Wednesday night.
Both teams found themselves in the elimination bracket after Radford was knocked off by No. 5 Winthrop and Presbyterian took a defeat against No. 3 Charleston Southern earlier in the afternoon.
For the Highlanders, it was the first post season win since the 2021 campaign, the program's last conference tournament appearance. The group will have a chance to continue history as Radford has not won two post season contests since 2017.
THE BASICS – GAME TWO
FINAL SCORE: Radford – 9, Presbyterian – 2
LOCATION: Truist Point Stadium (High Point, North Carolina)
RECORDS: Radford 28-27 (13-11), Presbyterian 17-35 (9-15)
GAME TWO BREAKDOWN
- After being named to the Big South's All-Freshman Team,
Eli Hudgins led the way with a standout performance. He went 3-for-4 at the dish overall to go with three RBI, one run scored, one double and a stolen base.
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James Ward (2-for-3, one home run, one run, two walks) and
Breckin Nace (1-for-2, two runs scored, two bases on balls, one double) were near impossible to get out as the duo posted two nearly perfect outings with a RBI apiece, respectively.
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Hunter Keen (1-for-2, two runs score, one walk) and
Brady Whitacre (one base on balls) also drove in a run for the Highlanders.
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Corbin Grantham rejoined the starting lineup and went off for a 1-for-3 nightcap that included one run scored, one walk and a game best two steals.
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Noah Toole (1-for-3, one base on balls) and
Jhonkeanu Perez also came around to score a single time to round out the offense.
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Trey Ludy picked the perfect time to have a career night with 5.2 standout innings of work. He allowed just three hits and two earned runs to go with three punch outs to pick up the win off the mound. He set a new career best in both innings pitched (1.2 innings longer than his next longest appearance) and pitches throw (70). Ludy retired the first 12 batters he faced in the game and didn't allow a hit until the top of the sixth.
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Jaxon Kehoe matched his energy and finished off the last 3.1 innings of the contest to record the save. He allowed just a single hit against and struck out four batters.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Highlanders weren't messing around in this one as Hudgins sent a RBI single out to right field to bring around Nace to give Radford a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
- Ward would add another tally for the Highlanders with a solo shot over the left centerfield fence to make it a 2-0 game in the bottom of the third.
- Radford then went off for three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Hudgins knocked in another run off a fielder's choice, Whitacre followed him with a perfect sacrifice bunt to drive in another and Hudgins put the exclamation point on the frame as he teamed up with Kehoe on a delayed steal and came in to score to push the Radford advantage to 5-0.
- Presbyterian tried to chip away with two runs in the top of the sixth to make it a 5-2 contest.
- The Highlanders weren't having any of that with three runs in the bottom half of the frame to extend the lead back to 8-2. A Nace sacrifice fly was followed by a two-RBI double off the bat of Hudgins to start to put the game out of reach.
- Radford added another insurance run off a RBI single by Keen to take a commanding lead at 9-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
- That is all Kehoe and the Radford defense would need as the Blue Hose couldn't muster anything together over the final two innings as the Highlanders sealed the 9-2 victory.
THE BASICS – GAME ONE
FINAL SCORE: Radford – 0, Winthrop – 6
LOCATION: Truist Point Stadium (High Point, North Carolina)
RECORDS: Radford 27-27 (13-11), Winthrop 30-27 (13-11)
GAME ONE BREAKDOWN
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Breckin Nace threw a gem with five scoreless innings of work off the mound. The standout sophomore allowed just three hits against and no runs to go against a single strikeout.
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Will Rice also fired a scoreless frame out of the bullpen.
- Both
James Ward (2-for-4) and
Eli Hudgins (2-for-4) posted multi-hit efforts.
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Jhonkeanu Perez (1-for-5),
Hunter Keen (1-for-3) and
Tyler Sparrer (1-for-4) also chipped in a base knock apiece, respectively.
- Hudgins added a stolen base.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- It was a pitcher's duel through the first five innings of play as neither side could push a run across.
- Winthrop finally broke through with two runs in the sixth, three in the seventh and another insurance marker in the eighth to seal the 6-0 win.
NEXT UP
While their opponent is still to be determined, the Highlanders advanced to the second day of competition and will take to the diamond on Thursday, May 22 at 7 PM ET inside Truist Point Stadium. Radford will play the lowest remaining seed of the losing squads between No. 1 USC Upstate and No. 5 Winthrop and No. 2 High Point vs. No. 3 Charleston Southern.
The Highlanders will once again be in an elimination game that will
air in front of a national audience on ESPN+. Fans and supporters can also
purchase tickets to the upcoming conference showdown here.
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