RADFORD, Va. – Charleston Southern baseball finished off the sweep of Radford, its second sweep of the 2023 Big South campaign, Sunday afternoon, using a strong start to pace the victory in the series finale.
 
Charleston Southern (17-18, 9-6 Big South) opened the scoring summary in the second frame as Nico Regino's single through the left side was enough to score Ernesto Polanco. The next frame would prove to be a big one for the Bucs, as four runs would come across to score for a commanding 5-0 lead.
 
Tyrell Brewer got things started in the third with a ball on the infield to score Jaylin Rae before Polanco added a single through the left side to bring Casey Asman across to score. Jared Payne continued the momentum with a single through the right side to score Brewer and the inning was capped be Chandler Tuupo scoring on a ground ball from Connor Aldrich.
 
The Bucs would then find two more runs in the fourth as Ashton Wilson would come across to score on a wild pitch before a Tuupo sacrifice fly scored Rae for an early 7-0 lead,
 
Radford (7-30, 0-12 Big South) found its first run of the game in the home-half of the fourth as Julian Rojas scored Zack Whitacre on a sacrifice fly.
 
Charleston Southern would again answer the call in the fifth and sixth frames, blowing the contest open with six runs. The fifth saw Aldrich's single up the middle score Payne before the offensive explosion in the next frame. Bryce Brock again made the most of his at-bats off the bench as he come on as a defensive switch in the fifth and hit a two-run shot in his first at-bat of the game the following frame.
 
Aldrich continued his big night in the sixth inning as well, scoring Polanco on a double to left right before Payne came across to score on a wild pitch. Regino capped the crooked frame off with a double to return the favor to Aldrich and score him on the play.
 
The Highlanders found six runs in the sixth, highlighted by an Austin Stalker solo shot and a Cameron Pittman two-run double to right center, but Charleston Southern would again find an answer. James Jett made noise with a three-run blast in the following inning and Wilson joined the party with a solo shot right after to push it to 17-7.
 
Johnny Alkire (W, 2-1) collected the win for the Bucs, going 5.2 innings and being charged with six earned on seven hits and two walks. Eddie Olsen would record an out before Devin MacWatters was brilliant in his two full frames of work, surrendering just one hit and striking out three. Jared Restmeyer recorded the final three outs in the ninth, facing the minimum three hitters to shut the door,
 
Luke Vongoedert (L, 1-1) takes the loss for Radford after going three complete innings and allowing five earned on seven hits and three walks. The Highlanders used six total arms in the contest, Foster Seitz being the lone run to not give up a run as he went two complete.
 
UP NEXT
Charleston Southern heads down the road to Columbia for a midweek affair with #6 South Carolina Tuesday, April 18. The non-conference clash is slated for an 8:00 p.m. first pitch at Founders Park.