RADFORD, Va. - The Presbyterian College baseball team took a 5-3 win from Radford in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, but a ninth-inning Highlander rally gave Radford a 9-8 decision in the second game.
PC moves to 19-25 on the year and 7-11 in the Big South Conference. Radford moves to 25-18 overall and 10-5 in league action.
Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) went 6-for-9 on the day, hitting one home run in the first game before cranking three in game number two. The sophomore posted eight combined RBI against the Highlanders on Saturday.
The Blue Hose take a break from competition in preparation for final exams next week. PC returns to action on Saturday on the road against No. 14 Central Florida for the first of a three-game series. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
PC 5, Radford 3
Zebedis and Nathan Chong (Duluth, Ga.) each tallied two RBI while Chandler Knox (Columbia, S.C.) picked up his third win of the year and Gabe Grammer (Irmo, S.C.) earned a save as the Blue Hose grabbed a 5-3 win in the day's opening game.
PC outhit the Highlanders by a 12-9 margin and the Blue Hose scored runs in the third and fifth innings to take the game.
Billy Motroni (Goose Creek, S.C.) drew a one-out walk in the third inning to put one aboard and bring up Zebedis. The sophomore then slugged the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to give PC an early 2-0 lead.
The Highlanders answered with a pair of runs in the fourth, using a Cory Turner sacrifice fly and a Patrick Marshall RBI double to tie the game.
The Blue Hose scored all the runs they would need in the fifth inning. Chong hit a two-run double to plate Motroni and Kenny Bryant (Goose Creek, S.C.) and a throwing error brought home Chong one batter later. PC took a 5-2 lead after the frame.
Knox turned in a strong outing for the Blue Hose, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings of work for the win. PC gave Radford's Tyler Costello his first win of the year, moving his record to 7-1.
Radford scored one final run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly, but the PC bullpen held the Highlanders scoreless after that. Buck Mosteller (Woodruff, S.C.) pitched a scoreless eighth to set up Grammer in the ninth. The senior struck out the first two batters and walked the third before slamming the door with a game-ending swinging strikeout.
Presbyterian College 5, Radford 3 (Apr 28, 2012 at Radford, Va.) (Game 1)
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Presbyterian College 002 030 000 - 5 12 0 (19-24, 7-10 BSC)
Radford............. 000 200 100 - 3 9 3 (24-18, 9-5 BSC)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - KNOX, Chandler; RICCHI, Michael(7); MOSTELLER, Buck(8);
GRAMMER, Gabe(9) and ZEBEDIS, Brad. Radford - COSTELLO, Tyler; FRITZ, Keith(7) and
WRIGHT, Daniel.
Win-KNOX, Chandler(3-2) Save-GRAMMER, Gabe(8) Loss-COSTELLO, Tyler(7-1) T-2:27 A-303
HR PC - ZEBEDIS, Brad (2).
Weather: 56, 40% chance t-storms
Radford 9, PC 8
PC took an 8-6 lead into the ninth inning, but a three-run Radford inning and a walk-off double from Zach Costello gave the Highlanders the win.
Zebedis went 4-for-4 to lead the Blue Hose, hitting three home runs for six RBI. The day moved Zebedis to second on the team in home runs, with five. Kenny Bryant also hit his team-leading eight home run of the season and drove in two runs.
The Blue Hose also stranded only three runners in the contest.
PC took a 3-1 lead after the first inning on a three-run shot from Zebedis that drove in Motroni and Andrew Williams (Augusta, Ga.). Radford took one run back in the bottom of the frame as Matt Mack poked an RBI single to right field.
Zebedis struck again in the third, hitting a solo shot to left field.
Three Radford runs and a PC error helped the Highlanders to a pair of runs in the fourth, guided by a Brett Mollenhauer two-run double.
Facing two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Zebedis registered his third straight hit by singling to bring up Bryant. Bryant then lifted his first pitch to right center for a two-run home run that gave PC a 6-3 lead. The homer ended a five-game stretch without going yard for the senior.
Radford's Phil Bondi tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. The Highlander knocked a three-run double to left field and brought Chad White (Suwanee, Ga.) into the contest.
White and Chad Sanders (St. Simons Island, Ga.) pitched effectively in relief, as neither allowed Radford to score. White threw one inning and walked two while Sanders allowed one hit in one and one-third innings.
Zebedis tagged his third home run in the seventh, bringing home Motroni to give PC an 8-6 advantage. Zebedis became the second player this year to hit three home runs in a game, matching Andrew Williams' feat against Kennesaw State on March 14.
Grammer took the mound in the ninth in search of his second save of the day. Radford notched four hits, however, using two straight singles and a double to cut PC's lead to one run. A Mollenhauer sacrifice fly tied the game and a Costello two-out double ended the affair as Radford left with a 9-6 victory.
Radford 9, Presbyterian College 8 (Apr 28, 2012 at Radford, Va.) (Game 2)
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Presbyterian College 301 020 200 - 8 12 1 (19-25, 7-11 BSC)
Radford............. 100 203 003 - 9 16 0 (25-18, 10-5 BSC)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - DEES, Beau; WHITE, Chad(6); SANDERS, Chad(7); GRAMMER, Gabe(9)
and SWAB, Robby. Radford - PETERSON, Mark; PATTEN, Jason(6); WILLIAMS, Abram(9) and
TRAVERS, Carl.
Win-WILLIAMS, Abram(2-3) Loss-GRAMMER, Gabe(2-3) T-2:43 A-304
HR PC - ZEBEDIS, Brad 3 (5); BRYANT, Kenny (8).
Weather: 60, sunny
