The Bison traveled to Virginia this past weekend for a three-game series against Radford. The games, taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, resulted in two victories for the Bison. These were big victories for the Orange and Blue as they were the team’s first victories of the season and the team now stands with a record of 2-4.

On Friday evening the team made an early statement, posting 15 runs. After a slow start for both teams offensively in which the two squads combined for just one hit through the first few innings, the Highlanders got on the board first in the third. They capitalized on several walks and a hit by pitch with the bases loaded to take the lead. Ben Magovern ’25 earned his first career start and threw a huge strikeout to halt the blow. 

The Bison pulled a run back in the fifth after Jacob Terwilliger ’23 walked with one out, and soon touched home after a few Radford errors. The Orange and Blue then took the lead in the seventh, capitalizing on another two errors by the Highlanders. Radford responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, this time on a walk with the bases loaded.  However, Graeme Carroll ’24 entered the game in a tough situation with the bases loaded and two outs, inducing a groundout to third baseman Mason Kelly ’23 to neutralize the threat.

The eighth inning is where the Orange and Blue shined, scoring six runs. Brendan Lowery ’22 walked, and then one batter later Tyler Dunn ’25 launched his first career home run over the right field fence to finish the Bison’s scoring for the inning and take a commanding 8-2 lead. The Bison added seven more runs in the ninth, exploding for a season-best ten hits overall.  

Lowery, Grant Voytovich ’24, Chris Cannizzaro ’22 , Logan Kellerman ’22 and Anthony Sherwin ’24 each picked up RBIs in the inning, with Sherwin highlighting the scoring with a two-RBI double. Voytovich managed a career-best three hits batting in the cleanup spot, also adding three RBIs. Magovern had a solid outing in his first collegiate start, throwing five innings and allowing just one earned run. 

In the second game of the series, the Bison fell 2-1. Both teams combined for 10 hits in nine innings. The Orange and Blue took the lead in the seventh inning when pinch hitter Kendall Pierson ’22 entered the game, making an instant impact by singling to third base. Lowery continued his fantastic start to the year with another two hits on Saturday, bringing his season total to seven already this year.   

Pitcher Will Greer ’23 kept Radford off the board, not allowing a hit for three straight innings. Greer ran into a bit of trouble in the fourth, with the Highlanders loading the bases with one out in the inning.  However, the junior managed to get a foul out and a strikeout to escape the jam unscathed.  Greer ​​pitched eight innings while allowing three hits, one earned run and striking out four batters. 

The Highlanders found the winning run in the bottom of the 11th on a sacrifice bunt after two straight singles to open the inning.  

Lowery and Cannizzaro accounted for four of the Bison’s six hits, while Pierson and Kellerman each added a hit.

The Bison opened the game with an early 1-0 lead. The Orange and Blue exploded for six runs in the fourth inning. Its first six batters reached bases safely with no outs. Voytovich started the inning with a single, before Pierson was hit by a pitch and a walk by Henry Novicki ’23 loaded the bases. That set up Kellerman’s three-RBI, bases-clearing double to give the Bison a 3-1 lead. 

Cannizzaro, along with Ben Sinins ’24, Voytovich, Pierson and Sherwin also recorded RBIs in Bison’s big inning, with Voytovich recording two singles in the frame as the Bison batted around in opening a commanding 8-1 lead.

Starting pitcher Austin Odell ’22 earned his second start of the season, providing another strong win, going seven innings while allowing five hits and striking out two. He was replaced by Nick Mulvey ’25 in the eighth inning. Mulvey pitched a clean eighth inning in his collegiate debut, while Andrew Funovits ’22 also pitched a clean ninth.   

The Bison scored two more in the eighth inning to secure the win. Voytovich followed up his big Friday with his second three-hit game of the series in the win, while Sherwin also collected three hits.  The Bison accumulated a season-best 14 hits in the victory, with eight Bison registering hits.

The Bison will travel to Durham, N.C. this weekend for a three game series against a tough competitor, Duke University.