RADFORD, Va. – Gardner-Webb plated three runs in the top of the sixth inning to go on to take a 5-4 victory at Radford on Friday night.
Gardner-Webb (15-14, 3-5 Big South) earned its first Big South Conference series win of the 2018 season, while holding Radford (10-15, 2-6 Big South) to no base hits and just two base runners over the final three innings of play.
Trailing by a 3-2 score after five innings, GWU tied the game with two outs and two runners on with a base knock through the left side by
Taber Mongero, sending
Corey Howard across the plate, who reached via a walk earlier in the frame.
Pinch hitter
JP McGuire stepped up, and with a full count ripped a base knock back up the middle to clear the bases, giving the 'Dogs a 5-3 advantage.
Radford took one run back in the bottom half of the sixth as a run crossed the plate after Kyle Butler grounded into a fielder's choice to pull the Highlanders back within a single run.
The Diamond 'Dogs would thwart any comeback effort by Radford in the final three frames, bringing in
Jarrett Thompson in the seventh inning in relief of starter
Bradley Hallman.
Thompson made quick work of the Highlanders in the seventh, fanning two of the three batters he faced.
Radford did advance a runner into scoring position in the eighth. Straton Podaras reached on a fielding error to lead off the frame and advanced to second base on a balk with no outs. Thompson found his groove once again, fooling the next three batters to record three straight strikeouts to end the inning.
The Highlanders again put the leadoff batter on base in the ninth as Butler reached via a walk, but was later tagged out by Mongero as he attempted to steal second base to record the first out of the inning.
Thompson then recorded his sixth strikeout of the night, causing Colby Higgerson to go down swinging, and with a full count, Spencer Horwitz hit a routine fly ball to
Mickey Dugan in left field to seal the win for GWU,
Gardner-Webb jumped out to an initial 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Mason Fox led off with a double to left field and later scored on a infield groundout by
Eric Jones.
Radford claimed the lead in the bottom of the third inning, scoring on a RBI groundout by Higgerson, followed by a RBI knock by Podaras later in the frame to hold a 2-1 advantage.
GWU tied the game in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly to deep left field by Fox, safely scoring Mongero from third base, who led off the frame with a base hit through the right side.
Radford answered in the bottom of the fifth, retaking the lead on a sacrifice fly to right field by Matt Roth.
Gardner-Webb had eight base hits on the night, led by Mongero (2-for-3, RBI, 2 runs).
The Highlanders collected six base hits, with Horwitz (2-for-5, run) and Carlin Christian (2-for-4, run) each having a multiple-hit evening.
Hallman (4-1) earned the win on the mound for GWU, allowing four runs on six base hits with three strikeouts in six innings. Thompson earned his fourth save of the season, allowing no base hits in three scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
Hunter Williams (0-2) took the loss for the Highlanders, surrendering five runs on five base hits with four strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. Andrew Nardi and Cameron Fritz worked the final 3.1 innings in relief, allowing no runs on three base hits.
Both squads will face off again tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 pm to wrap up the series. The contest can be viewed live on the Big South Network (www.bigsouthsports.com).
