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RADFORD, VA. – Radford combined for nine runs in the fifth and sixth and defeated Campbell 10-3 in Thursday's Big South weekend series opener.
Radford improves to 19-16 on the season and 9-7 in Big South games with the win. Campbell falls to 25-13 overall and 11-5 in conference play, ending a six-game Big South winning streak.
Dylan Nelson (5-3) earned the win, allowing just a pair of runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Daniel Bridgeman tossed a 1 1/3 innings, allowing a run with two strikeouts and a walk.
Heath Bowers (6-2) surrendered eight runs, eight earned, on 10 hits, striking out six with two walks.
Coley Thompkins allowed a run on two hits with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning. James Darcy worked 1 2/3, striking out one and walking one with three hits. John Allen also retired the only batter he faced.
Josh Gardiner went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI for the Highlanders, while Chris Coia went 4-for-4, also scoring twice.
Hunter Higgerson picked up three hits, including a three-run homer in the fourth. Patrick Marshall also knocked in a pair for Radford.
Danny Pardo and Matt Parrish both picked up two hits each for the Camels, including a double for Parrish in the eighth.
The Camels registered leadoff base hits from Seth LaRue and Matt Parrish in the second. With two away in the inning and runners on second and third, John Reilly singled down the left field line, knocking in both to give Campbell a 2-0 lead.
Radford also had its first two post hits to start the home half of the second. After moving to third on a bunt, leadoff man Alexander Lee scored on Josh Reavis' RBI groundout to make it 2-1.
The Highlanders posted four in the fifth, including a three-run homer from Hunter Higgerson. RU then plated five more in the sixth on five hits to make it 10-2.
Kyle Prats drove in a run for the Camels in the ninth to give the game its final score.
Game two of the series will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The series finale will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday at RU Baseball Stadium.
The Camels will stay on the road for their next two games as well, heading to North Carolina State on Tuesday, April 22, and Virginia Tech Wednesday, April 23.
