RADFORD, Va. – The Radford Highlanders baseball team put up a crooked number in the first inning but failed to overcome Bryant's prowess with the bats, falling to the Bulldogs 12-6 to drop game three and the series on Sunday afternoon at Carter Memorial Stadium.
The Highlanders found themselves down 2-0 going to bat in the first before they added a few runners on the bases.
Breckin Nace plated one on an RBI groundout, then
Devin Parks parked a ball over the right field fence for a three-run blast that gave the junior outfielder his first homer of the season and Radford the first lead of the day.
Bryant responded by loading the bases in the top of the second and their leadoff hitter emptying them with a three-run double. The Bulldogs added another in the second and one more in the third to make it a 7-5 game through two and a half frames. In the fifth,
Brady Whitacre came through to single in
Eli Hudgins in the bottom half, with the score being 7-6 just over midway through.
Like yesterday, the Bulldogs got after the Radford bullpen to pull away late. Bryant tallied three more in the sixth and a couple more runs (unearned) to build a 12-6 cushion. Radford loaded the bases in the ninth with two outs to threaten to make it a ballgame before
Mason Self grounded out to end the contest.
Hudgins led the Highlanders with three hits (1 double) and scored twice. Parks and Nace also reached base three times, with the latter getting three walks to grow his total to 14 free passes on the season. Parks is the fifth different Highlander to homer this season.
Andrew Steinhaus took the loss to move to 1-2 this season. He allowed seven runs (6 earned) with three walks and no strikeouts in three innings of work. This is the first series loss of the season for Radford after taking two of three against Iona and Bucknell the past two weekends at home.
UP NEXT
The Highlanders will travel across the Appalachians to battle West Virginia for a pair of mid-week games. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 from Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark, with live coverage on ESPN+.
STAY SOCIAL WITH RADFORD BASEBALL
For all the latest on Radford Baseball, be sure to follow the team on X (@RadfordBaseball), Instagram (@radfordbaseball), and "like" the team's official Facebook Page (Radford Baseball).
#RiseAndDefend
