Friday, May 15
Lynchburg, Va.
4:15 PM
Liberty University
31-19, 17-9
5
vs
7
Radford
25-22, 16-9
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
9th innning9
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
RADFORD
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
3
1
7
12
1
LIBERTY
0
1
1
0
0
2
0
0
1
5
10
0
Eighth Inning Lifts Radford Past Liberty
5/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Radford scored three eighth-inning runs, propelling the Highlanders to a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over the Liberty Flames, Friday in game two of a Big South doubleheader at Worthington Stadium.
With a setback, the Flames fall to 17-9 in Big South play and 31-19 overall. The Highlanders, who took both ends of the twinbill, move to 16-9 in conference action and 25-22 overall. The contest was the last regular season game of the season for both teams.
Radford jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the opening inning. Center fielder Tyren Rivers led off the contest with a single and moved to third base on a ground out by right fielder Reggie Keen. First baseman Alex Gregory then plated Rivers with a grounder to the shortstop, giving the Highlanders a 1-0 advantage.
The visitors upped their lead with two runs in the second inning. Three straight singles capped by a run-scoring base hit by catcher Carl Travers scored the first Radford run of the frame. Three batters later, a fielder's choice by Keen brought home the second run of the inning to make it, 3-0, Highlanders.
Liberty got its first run of the contest in the bottom of the frame. Left fielder Jeff Jefferson (So., Danville, Va.) walked to open the home half of the second and advanced to third base on a double by right fielder Casey Brown (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif.). After designated hitter Zane Bator (Jr., Moses Lake, Wash.) reached on an error by third baseman Nick Minter to load the bases, Jefferson scored on a double play grounder by third baseman Kizuku Scott (Fr., Hampton, Va.) to trim the Radford advantage to 3-1.
The Flames cut further into the Highlander lead in the third inning. Second baseman P.J. Jimenez (Jr., Yucaipa, Calif.) led off the bottom of the frame by lining his fourth home run of the year into the Liberty bullpen just on the other side of the left field wall, slicing the Radford edge to 3-2.
In the sixth, the host Flames plated two runs to go on top in the contest. Catcher Errol Hollinger (Sr., Upland, Calif.) opened the inning by dropping a double into left field. Jefferson followed with a sharp liner to right field for a single, scoring Hollinger and knotting the contest at 3-3. Two batters later, after Jefferson stole second base, third baseman Kizuku Scott (Fr., Hampton, Va.) ripped a single to right field to cash in the Liberty left fielder for 4-3 Flames' edge.
Radford took back the advantage in the eighth. With one out and the bases loaded, pinch hitter Matt Hillsinger doubled inside the right field line, plating two runners for a 5-4 Highlander lead. Shortstop Bret Mollenhauer followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to center field to score the third run of the inning, giving Radford a 6-4 advantage.
In the top of the ninth, the Highlanders added an insurance run. With two outs, second baseman Rick Hoogstraten made it, 7-4 Radford, with a RBI single.
Liberty rallied in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Scott blasted his second home run of the season over the center field wall, cutting the Flames deficit to 7-5. First baseman Trey Wimmer (Fr., Greenwood, S.C.) and Jimenez followed with singles to bring the winning run to the plate. However, Highlander reliever Jason Patten induced a game-ending double play to close out the Flames.
Liberty reliever Andrew Wilson (Sr., Cary, N.C.) the second pitcher in the game for the Flames, falls to 5-3 on the season. The right-hander gave up four runs on six hits over four innings. He struck out a season-high seven batters and walked one.
John Lloyd, the third of five pitchers to take the mound for Radford in the game, picked up the win to move to 1-0. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Patten earned his ninth save of the year.
Jefferson, Scott and Jimenez each had two hits for the Flames in the contest. Rivers, Hoogstraten and left fielder Will Naylor had two hits apiece for the Highlanders.
Liberty heads to the 2009 Big South Championships, May 19-23, at McCormick Field in Asheville, N.C. The Flames, the tournament's No. 3 seed, will meet the No. 4 seed Highlanders on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
With a setback, the Flames fall to 17-9 in Big South play and 31-19 overall. The Highlanders, who took both ends of the twinbill, move to 16-9 in conference action and 25-22 overall. The contest was the last regular season game of the season for both teams.
Radford jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the opening inning. Center fielder Tyren Rivers led off the contest with a single and moved to third base on a ground out by right fielder Reggie Keen. First baseman Alex Gregory then plated Rivers with a grounder to the shortstop, giving the Highlanders a 1-0 advantage.
The visitors upped their lead with two runs in the second inning. Three straight singles capped by a run-scoring base hit by catcher Carl Travers scored the first Radford run of the frame. Three batters later, a fielder's choice by Keen brought home the second run of the inning to make it, 3-0, Highlanders.
Liberty got its first run of the contest in the bottom of the frame. Left fielder Jeff Jefferson (So., Danville, Va.) walked to open the home half of the second and advanced to third base on a double by right fielder Casey Brown (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif.). After designated hitter Zane Bator (Jr., Moses Lake, Wash.) reached on an error by third baseman Nick Minter to load the bases, Jefferson scored on a double play grounder by third baseman Kizuku Scott (Fr., Hampton, Va.) to trim the Radford advantage to 3-1.
The Flames cut further into the Highlander lead in the third inning. Second baseman P.J. Jimenez (Jr., Yucaipa, Calif.) led off the bottom of the frame by lining his fourth home run of the year into the Liberty bullpen just on the other side of the left field wall, slicing the Radford edge to 3-2.
In the sixth, the host Flames plated two runs to go on top in the contest. Catcher Errol Hollinger (Sr., Upland, Calif.) opened the inning by dropping a double into left field. Jefferson followed with a sharp liner to right field for a single, scoring Hollinger and knotting the contest at 3-3. Two batters later, after Jefferson stole second base, third baseman Kizuku Scott (Fr., Hampton, Va.) ripped a single to right field to cash in the Liberty left fielder for 4-3 Flames' edge.
Radford took back the advantage in the eighth. With one out and the bases loaded, pinch hitter Matt Hillsinger doubled inside the right field line, plating two runners for a 5-4 Highlander lead. Shortstop Bret Mollenhauer followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to center field to score the third run of the inning, giving Radford a 6-4 advantage.
In the top of the ninth, the Highlanders added an insurance run. With two outs, second baseman Rick Hoogstraten made it, 7-4 Radford, with a RBI single.
Liberty rallied in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Scott blasted his second home run of the season over the center field wall, cutting the Flames deficit to 7-5. First baseman Trey Wimmer (Fr., Greenwood, S.C.) and Jimenez followed with singles to bring the winning run to the plate. However, Highlander reliever Jason Patten induced a game-ending double play to close out the Flames.
Liberty reliever Andrew Wilson (Sr., Cary, N.C.) the second pitcher in the game for the Flames, falls to 5-3 on the season. The right-hander gave up four runs on six hits over four innings. He struck out a season-high seven batters and walked one.
John Lloyd, the third of five pitchers to take the mound for Radford in the game, picked up the win to move to 1-0. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Patten earned his ninth save of the year.
Jefferson, Scott and Jimenez each had two hits for the Flames in the contest. Rivers, Hoogstraten and left fielder Will Naylor had two hits apiece for the Highlanders.
Liberty heads to the 2009 Big South Championships, May 19-23, at McCormick Field in Asheville, N.C. The Flames, the tournament's No. 3 seed, will meet the No. 4 seed Highlanders on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: LLOYD, John (1-0)
L: Wilson, Andrew (5-3)
S: PATTEN, Jason (9)
Batting:
2B: HILLSINGER, Matt 1
RBI: KEEN, Reggie 1 ; GREGORY, Alex 1 ; HOOGSTRATEN, Rick 1 ; TRAVERS, Carl 1 ; HILLSINGER, Matt 2 ; MOLLENHAUER, Brett 1
SH: RIVERS, Tyren 1
SF: MOLLENHAUER, Brett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: RIVERS, Tyren 1 ; KEEN, Reggie 1 ; MINTER, Nick 1 ; HOOGSTRATEN, Rick 2 ; ELLIS, Steven 1 ; TRAVERS, Carl 1
SB: GREGORY, Alex 1 ; TURNER, Raphael 1 ; NAYLOR, Will 1
CS: TURNER, Raphael 1
HBP: TURNER, Raphael 1
Batting:
2B: Hollinger, Errol 1 ; Brown, Casey 1
HR: Scott, Kizuku 1 ; Jimenez, P.J. 1
RBI: Jefferson, Jeff 1 ; Scott, Kizuku 2 ; Jimenez, P.J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hollinger, Errol 1 ; Jefferson, Jeff 2 ; Scott, Kizuku 1 ; Jimenez, P.J. 1
SB: Jefferson, Jeff 1
CS: Scott, Kizuku 1
Game Leaders
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AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
.jpg&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
.jpg&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
.jpg&width=100&height=100&type=webp)
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
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