RADFORD, Va. – On a rainy Tuesday night, Radford took advantage of a slow start for Longwood's pitching staff. The Highlanders plated six runs through two innings and won 11-3 over Longwood at Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium.
With a drizzle constantly falling throughout almost the entirety of the game, Radford (10-8, 5-4 Big South) used a patient approach up and down the lineup. Every player in the order reached base safely with either a base hit or a walk. Sean Cheely led Radford with three hits while Connor Bagnieski and Anthony Galati each added two hits. Straton Podaras scored a team-best three runs while also drawing three walks.
Meanwhile, Radford's pitching staff worked around one spot of trouble in the second inning to limit Longwood's offense across the other eight. The duo of Hunter Williams and Ty Burton only surrendered five hits in seven innings without a walk. Williams (1-0) earned the win with four strong innings that saw him only surrender three runs, none earned, on three hits while striking out three. Burton took over to start the fifth and tossed three scoreless innings while striking out three to only two hits. Brock Smith closed it out with two hitless innings in the eighth and ninth.
Radford took the early 2-0 lead after loading the bases with no outs in the first and cashing in two, but Longwood (8-11, 2-6 Big South) answered with a rally in the second.
Jack Schnell started the rally with a single and came home on an error at short to cut the lead to one.
Hayden Harris squeezed home another run with a sacrifice bunt to tie the game before
Michael Dolberry lined an RBI single to centerfield to take the lead, 3-2.
The Highlanders responded with four in the bottom of the second to retake the lead and never trailed from that point on. Longwood reliever
JR Parrish came on in the second and settled things down, but by then the damage had been done. The sophomore left-hander threw well for the Lancers, striking out five while only surrendering one run on one hit and three walks in three innings, his longest outing as a Lancer.
Even as Parrish stabilized the game, the Radford pairing of Williams and Burton didn't crack, and the Highlanders added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh.
Aidan VanVickle (1-1) took the loss for the Lancers. The freshman surrendered four runs, two earned, in the second inning on two hits and two walks.
Longwood returns home to host Campbell this weekend at Buddy Bolding Stadium for a three-game series. Game one is set for Friday night at 5 p.m., with games two and three taking place on Saturday in a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m.
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