Highlanders Crush Four Homers, Take Series Opening Win Over UNC Asheville

BOX SCORE RADFORD, Va. – The Radford Highlanders baseball team needed a good start to their penultimate conference series of the season. They got that and then some from the offense, scoring five runs from four home runs in a 9-5 win over UNC Asheville on Friday night at Carter Memorial Stadium.

The Bulldogs got ahead 3-0 in the top of the first, but it did not take long for the Highlanders to get back into it. Hunter Keen sent a line drive homer over the left field wall to get Radford on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Noah Toole repeated the feat in the bottom of the second, getting the Highlanders within a run.

Rolling with the momentum, Radford loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth after Eli Hudgins lead off the frame with a double, Breckin Nace singled up the middle, and Devin Parks worked a walk. Toole came through for the second time in the game, singling to plate Hudgins and Nace to give Radford a lead that they would not give up. Alex Levesque added on before the inning was over, crushing a two-run shot to right center that put the Highlanders ahead 6-3.

Despite struggling early, Radford ace Raymond Ladd settled in to move to 3-0 in his 13th start. The redshirt sophomore struck out a couple and worked a 1-2-3 second and fourth inning for the triumph. He allowed four runs (3 ER) to help the Highlanders open the series on the right foot.

The Bulldogs began to chip away, scoring once in the fifth and again in the sixth to make it a 7-5 game. Parks took advantage of a mistake to hit his fifth home run of the season in the sixth. That was Radford's fourth home run of the game, the most the team has hit in a game this season. Junho Son got an RBI hit to give a little more insurance late, with the leadoff hitter plating pinch runner Carter Richardson for a 9-5 advantage in the eighth.

Four Highlander relievers got the job done, allowing just one run over the final four frames. Trey Ludy held UNC Asheville to just one run in the sixth, and Joshua Milleville followed to get two strikeouts over an inning and two thirds. Corey Costello came through with a clutch strikeout to end the eighth, and Mason Hatcher fanned a pair of Bulldogs to secure the 9-5 win.

Toole highlighted the Highlanders' offense, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and getting his first third homer of the season. The top of the lineup put a lot of traffic on the bases, combining to go 6-for-14 with three runs and three RBI.

UP NEXT
The Highlanders hope to clinch the series against the Bulldogs tomorrow afternoon. First pitch in game two is set for 4:00 p.m. from Williams Field at Carter Memorial Stadium. Follow the action in-person or stream the game live with Rick Watson, the voice of the Highlanders, on ESPN+.

STAY SOCIAL WITH RADFORD BASEBALL
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Players Mentioned

#11 Mason Hatcher: RHP; 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman

#16 Eli Hudgins: INF; 5' 11"; Sophomore; R/R

#40 Raymond Ladd: RHP; 6' 6"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#20 Trey Ludy: RHP; 6' 1"; Junior; R/R

#22 Joshua Milleville: RHP; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

#33 Breckin Nace: LHP/1B; 6' 4"; Junior; L/L

#27 Carter Richardson: OF; 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R

#3 Noah Toole: MIF; 6' 0"; Sophomore; S/R

#7 Junho Son: UTL; 5' 8"; Junior; L/R

#13 Hunter Keen: INF; 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R

Players Mentioned

#11 Mason Hatcher
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman
: RHP

#16 Eli Hudgins
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; R/R
: INF

#40 Raymond Ladd
: 6' 6"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#20 Trey Ludy
: 6' 1"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#22 Joshua Milleville
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#33 Breckin Nace
: 6' 4"; Junior; L/L
: LHP/1B

#27 Carter Richardson
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#3 Noah Toole
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; S/R
: MIF

#7 Junho Son
: 5' 8"; Junior; L/R
: UTL

#13 Hunter Keen
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R
: INF

Radford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned