Seven Homeruns Power Baseball as Highlanders Sweep Flames

The Radford Highlanders pounded out seven home runs and scored 16 runs in sweeping a doubleheader from Liberty at Worthington Stadium on Saturday. The Highlanders won the first game, 10-7, in 10 innings, and took game two by a score of 6-5. (Box Score Game 1) (Box Score Game 2)

In the first game, Radford (17-28, 7-11 BSC) led 6-0 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Flames (27-21-1, 10-8 BSC) plated six runs in the inning to tie the game. The first two runs were scored when Larry Wayne York (Jr., 2B, Ramseur, N.C.) homered to right field with Keith Butler (Jr., CF, Marietta, Ga.) on base. Kelly Knouse (Sr., 1B, Tampa, Fla.) scored the third run on a wild pitch. Shane Miller (Sr., DH, Wheat Ridge, Colo.) then grounded out to the Radford shortstop, driving in Steve Baker (Sr., RF, Rome, N.Y.). Matt Hagen (Jr., 3B, Eaton, Colo.) then hit a two-run home run to center field with Marcus Maringola (Sr., LF, Southington, Conn.) on base to tie the game at 6-6.

After a scoreless ninth inning, Radford scored four runs in the top of the 10th inning to take the lead for good. Mark Fliesher led off the inning with a home run to left center to give the Highlanders a 7-6 lead. Shawn Abell, Matt Mantione and Daryl Douglass each drove in a run for Radford to give the Highlanders a 10-6 cushion heading into the bottom of the 10th inning.

Liberty plated one run in the bottom of the 10th to make the final score 10-7. Butler reached base on a fielder's choice, driving in Maringola for the game's final run.

For the game, York was 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Flames at the plate. Hagen was 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBI. Jonathan Schneider (Jr., RHP, Springfield, Va.) pitched 1.2 innings, giving up one run on one hit to take the loss and drop his record to 1-3 on the season.

For Radford, Fliesher was 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI and Keith Brunst went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Bret Lieberman pitched 1.2 innings, giving up one run on one hit to pick up the win for the Highlanders and improve his record to 2-1 on the season.

In game two, Radford jumped on top early again, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. The three runs were scored on a home run by Jerry Fulton with Abell and Alan Ashworth on base.

Liberty took a 4-3 lead with a run in the first, another in the third and two more in the fourth. Joey Monahan (Jr., SS, Marietta, Ga.) doubled to center field to bring in Butler for the run in the first. The run in the third was scored when Monahan doubled to left field, bringing in York. Baker hit a two-run home run with Miller on base for the two runs in the fourth to give the Flames a 4-3 lead.

Radford quickly tied the game when Scott Gvozdas led the fifth inning off with a home run to right field.

The game remained tied until the top of the seventh when Radford plated two runs to take a 6-4 lead. Shaun House hit a pinch-hit home run to left field with Mantione on base to give the Highlanders all the runs they would need.

Liberty added a run in the bottom of the seventh to make the final score 6-5. York scored the run on a wild pitch, but the Flames could get no closer.

In game two, Liberty was led by Monahan, going 4-for-4 with two RBI. Baker was 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Jason Jones (So., RHP, Pasadena, Md.) pitched a complete game, giving up six runs on eight hits to take the loss and drop his record to 11-2 on the season.

Fulton was 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI to lead the Highlanders at the plate. Justin Tubb gave up five runs on seven hits over 6.2 innings to pick up the win for Radford. Tubb is now 2-7 on the season.