Box Score
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Hunter Higgerson had three hits and three RBI to lead visiting Radford University to a 10-6 Big South Conference North Division baseball victory at Longwood University on Saturday evening at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville. Higgerson had a two-run double and an RBI single, while starter Michael Boyle gained the pitching win and Jeff Maxwell earned his second-straight save for the Highlanders (26-20, 11-6 Big South). Senior
Justin Lacy/Glen Allen had two home runs and four RBI for the Lancers (21-23, 10-10 Big South), while sophomore starter
Brandon Vick/Newport News took the mound loss. Longwood and Radford will play the finale to the weekend's three-game series on Sunday, May 5 at 1 p.m. at Bolding Stadium in Farmville. It will be
Senior Day with a special pre-game ceremony in honor of the program's three seniors.
Longwood got on the board first with four runs in the first inning after a towering three-run home run to right field by Lacy (2-4, 4 RBI) and a sacrifice fly from junior
Alex Owens/Purcellville (0-3, RBI). Lacy hit the first pitch he faced just to the left of the new scoreboard in right field, scoring both junior captain
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (1-4, RBI) and freshman
Kyri Washington/Prospect (2-4), who had singled and doubled, respectively. The Lancers had scored the first run of the game when junior captain
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake (1-5) struck out swinging but reached via a wild pitch and later crossed the plate on the sac fly to right field by Owens.
Radford answered with two runs in the second inning when Ryan Burgess (1-5) reached on a throwing error at shortstop and scored on an RBI single to left field by Blake Sipe (3-3, 2 RBI). Higgerson (3-4, 3 RBI), who had walked after Burgess reached, also scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly to center field from Patrick Marshall (0-4, RBI).
Longwood added a run in the fourth to lead 5-2 after Lacy hit his second homer of the day, this time a solo shot to right field that traveled just to the right of the scoreboard. The two homers were his first of the season, as the fourth-year player now totals 18 career home runs.
Radford, however, scored four runs in the sixth to take a 6-5 advantage as Zach Woolcock (2-4) doubled ahead of a single from Burgess before a two-run double into the left field corner by Higgerson plated both runners. Higgerson crossed the plate courtesy of a throwing error by the pitcher when Sipe reached while trying to put down a sacrifice bunt toward the mound that was thrown past the third baseman on the fielder's choice play, allowing the run. Sipe made it to second on the play, moved to third on a grounder and scored on an RBI bunt single by Chris Coia (2-3, 2 RBI), a ball placed just in front of the plate on a well-executed squeeze play. The Highlanders added two runs in the seventh to lead 8-5 after Burgess reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on an RBI single by Higgerson, and Higgerson would cross the plate on a run-scoring single from Sipe.
Radford added yet another run in the eighth to lead 9-5 when Coia was hit by a pitch, stole second base and later scored on an RBI single by Josh Reavis (2-5, RBI). The Highlanders plated a final run in the ninth as Higgerson doubled down the line in right field and scored on a one-out, infield RBI single by Coia on a ball hit deep into the hole at shortstop.
Vick (4-5) started and pitched the first 5.1 innings for Longwood, allowing eight hits and six runs, four earned, with two walks and two strikeouts.
Boyle (5-2) pitched the first 5.0 innings for Radford, scattering six hits and five runs, all earned, with two walks and three strikeouts. Maxwell (4) tossed the final 3.2 innings for the Highlanders' save, allowing four hits and one run, earned, with no walks and three strikeouts.
