Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC – The Radford Highlanders scored 11 runs during a two-inning stretch on Friday evening to defeat the Winthrop Eagles 15-9 in game one of a three-game Big South Conference series at The Winthrop Ballpark. The contest was televised across the nation on ESPNU.
The Eagles fall to 18-19 overall and 6-7 in the conference, while the Highlanders improve their record to 19-18 on the season and 7-6 in conference play.
Aerik Taylor (4-1) hurled 7.0 innings on the mound for Radford to pick up the victory and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, one walk and five strikeouts. Robert Lake (4-3) took the loss for Winthrop throwing 5.1 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits, no walks and six strikeouts.
“It's disappointing for us, obviously,” said head coach Joe Hudak. “You have to give Radford credit. They swung the bats and got the hits when they needed to. We just didn't pitch very well in the middle and we have to do a better job of that. Hopefully, we will get better pitching tomorrow.”
Radford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on back-to-back RBIs from Robert Lamas and Brett Mollenhauer. Lamas drove in Alex Guerra with a groundout to second base for the first run, while Mollenhauer doubled into the left center field gap.
Winthrop answered back to tie the game at 2-2 in its half of the second with RBIs from Tyler McBride and Eddie Rohan. McBride drove in Matt Thielepape for the first run of the inning as he reached on an error by the second baseman and Rohan posted an RBI infield single that scored Adam Gliebe.
The Highlanders broke the game open in the sixth inning plating seven runs to make it a 9-2 game highlighted by a grand slam to right field by Guerra with two outs. Tyren Rivers got the scoring started with his two RBI double over Sean Sullivan's head in right field, and Reggie Keen followed with his RBI single to center field.
Radford added four more runs in the top of the seventh to extend its lead to 13-2 with Matt Hillsinger driving in three of those runs on his double down the left field line. Hillsinger later scored on an RBI groundout by Raphael Turner.
The Eagles trimmed the Highlanders lead to 13-9 after scoring two runs in the seventh and five in the eighth inning. Tyler Cook drove in Sullivan with an RBI groundout for the first run of the seventh and Rohan came home two batters later on a wild pitch. Rohan and Chas Crane brought in four of the five runs in the eighth inning as both posted two RBI singles, and Patrick Gamblin added an RBI groundout following the hit by Crane.
Keen extended Radford's lead to six runs at 15-9 in the top of the ninth with his two-run homer to left field after Mollenhauer doubled to right center field and moved to third base when Rivers sacrificed him over with a bunt.
Rohan, Gliebe and Matt Pierpont posted two hits each at the plate to lead Winthrop offensively, while Rohan drove in a team-high three RBI. Keen finished the game with a 4-for-6 performance and Guerra had four RBI.
The Eagles and Highlanders will resume the series with game two on Saturday, Apr. 24 at 4 p.m.
