The Radford University baseball team fell victim in a 3-2 loss in 12 innings to Virginia Tech on Tuesday night at English Field at Union Park.
Virginia Tech (3-5) got the go-ahead run, Darion Jacoby, aboard via a leadoff walk in the 12th. Jacoby moved to second on sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a single to center field. He scored the game-winning run on a one-out suicide squeeze from Jack Owens. Radford (3-5) was able to get a runner on base in each of the extra innings played but was unable get one of them home.
The Highlanders were one out away from escaping Blacksburg with a win, but Sam Fragale scored from third on a wild pitch and tied the game at two. Fragale reached base with a leadoff double down the left field line in the ninth inning. He moved to third on a fly out to Adam Whitacre in left field and scored with two outs.
After scoring the game-tying run in the third inning, Straton Podaras put the Highlanders ahead, 2-1, with an RBI single to right field that scored Luke Belanger in the fifth inning. Belanger put himself in scoring position with a leadoff double. Radford had one more hit in the inning but could not pick up another run and left two stranded on first and second.
Virginia Tech struck first in the bottom of the second inning as Nick Menken singled to left field and drove in Luke Horanski with one out to take 1-0 lead. After a fly out to right field for the second out, Cam Irvine singled up the middle and Menken advanced to third on a Radford throwing error. A harmless ground ball to Belanger at second base ended the threat.
Radford answered in the next frame as Podaras, who led off the inning with a single to third base, scored all the way from second on a throwing error by the Hokie third baseman. Luke Wise, who reached on a single with one out, was thrown out at the plate on a ground ball to first base for the second out of the third inning. The inning ended on a Colby Higgerson fly out to right field.
Austin Ross was the star on the mound for the Highlanders striking out a career-high eight batters over four innings. He allowed only one run to score which came on the wild pitch and scattered three hits. Hunter Williams started the game for Radford and had his best outing of the season with a three-hit outing over five innings. He also allowed only three hits.
The six through nine hitters in the batting order recorded seven of Radford’s 10 hits against the Hokies. The seventh hitter in the lineup, Straton Podaras, led the way with a 2 for 3 performance with one run scored and the lone RBI. He also drew two walks.
The number nine hitter, Luke Wise, and the number six hitter, Luke Belanger, picked up two hits apiece.Belanger was the only Highlander that recorded an extra-base hit with a double. Andrew Szamski recorded two hits with one walk, while Adam Whitacre and Matt Roth had the one hit each for Radford.
Spencer Horwitz drew a team-high three walks, while the rest of the team combined for three. Hunter Williams earned the start, tossing five innings with three hits, one earned run and two walks. Austin Ross had an amazing relief appearance, pitching four innings with a career-high eight strikeouts and one earned run.
Radford left 12 runners on base, including five in extra innings.
“I thought we pitched really well today. We attacked hitters and we played pretty clean defense. But until we start to compete for at bats, this is what you are going to see. We have a chance to be a pretty darn good baseball team but we need to compete for every at bat and not every other at bat.” ~ Radford head coach Joe Raccuia
–RU Athletics
