RADFORD, Va. - - Freshman Cory Koliscak tossed a complete game four-hit shutout in game one, as Radford University and Cleveland State split a double-header Saturday afternoon at Dedmon Center Park. The Highlanders took game one, 7-1, while Cleveland State rallied for a 4-3 extra inning victory in the nightcap. (Game 1 Box Score) (Game 2 Box Score)
Koliscak picked up his first career victory in game one, striking out nine in seven strong innings. Koliscak kept the CSU hitters off balance all afternoon striking out the side in the first. He would hold the Viking hitless for 4.2 innings only to have his no-hit bid broken up by Stipe Miocic’s double to left-center.
The Highlanders would break the game open in the bottom of the fifth as RU would send 13 men to the plate to and score seven runs on five hits.
Junior Mike Tarbox sparked the Highlander rally as he would dive home fellow junior Nat Hodges, who lead off the inning by reaching on a fielding error by the second baseman to make it 1-0. Freshman Alan Ashworth would put the Highlanders ahead to stay by diving in two with a single of his own. Frank Anderson would add to the RU lead, with a bases loaded, bases clearing double to right-center and Kellen Wohlford would dive in one with his second of two hits in the game.
CSU would scratch its lone run of the game off Koliscak in the seventh, however it was to little to late as RU prevailed 7-1.
Ashworth would collect three-hits in four trips to the plate to pace the Highlander offensive attack. Wohlford added a pair of singles for RU.
The Highlanders and the Vikings would need extra frames to settle the nightcap, as Pat Smith would drive a two ball, two strike, two out Brett Lieberman offering into left-center to earn Cleveland State a split, 4-3.
Radford would jump out to a 2-0 lead plating single runs in the first and second innings. Ben Smith would cut the Highlanders lead in half with a solo homerun to right field in the fourth.
That would be the score as Radford starter David Light would give way to Justin Tubb in the sixth only to allow CSU to even the score at 2-2. They would do that with a leadoff double by Miocic down the leftfield line. He would score on a fielder’s choice RBI by Brett Counts.
The Vikings would plate runs in the sixth and seventh, and RU would counter with a lone run in the bottom of the seventh, courtesy of a Daryl Douglass RBI single to center, to put the game into extra innings.
Ben Smith added three hits, while Pat Smith and Brian Beaumier each added a pair of hits for CSU. Zizelman earned the victory for Cleveland State tossing 1.2 inning of perfect relief. Lieberman suffered the loss for RU allowing just the game leadoff double to Smith in one inning of work as RU could only muster three hits.
The rubber game of the series is set for 1:00 p.m. tomorrow at Dedmon Center Park.
