Box Score www.winthropphotos.com
Box Score

RADFORD, VA- Pitchers Josh Strong and Joey Strain held Radford to just six hits in nine innings and hitless in the final two innings en route to a 9-3 victory over Radford on Sunday.

The Eagles are 4-0 in conference series finales and improve to 23-14 overall and 4-8 in the Big South. This is just the second conference loss for the Highlanders who drop to 23-12 on the year and 10-2 in conference play.

Strong earned his first conference win of the year, holding Radford to three runs on six hits in 7.1 innings before Strain came in to close out the game allowing no hits in the final two frames. Radford's Mitchell MacKeith took the loss, giving up three runs on four hits in the opening 2.1 innings.

Babe Thomas went 2-4 on the day with three RBI and scored three runs including a solo home run.

After two scoreless innings, the Eagles scored three runs in the top of the third inning. Thomas led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Mark Lowrie. Thomas crossed the plate as Kyle Edwards reached on an error by MacKeith that moved Lowrie to third. Tyler Asbill reached on another error by MacKeith that allowed Lowrie to score and Edwards to advance to third before coming home as Mitch Spires reached on fielder's choice.

Both teams were held to just one hit in the next three innings but Radford got one run back on a solo home run to left field by Josh Gardiner.

Winthrop pushed its advantage to 7-1, scoring four runs in the seventh inning. Whitley and Thomas hit back to back singles to lead off the inning and Lowrie reached on fielder's choice but the Highlanders were unable to make an out on the play. With the bases loaded, Edwards walked and Spires was hit by a pitch to score two runs before Anthony Paulsen drove home two more runs on a single.

Radford rallied with a two- run seventh inning but the Eagles answered back with a two-run eighth. Thomas led off with his home run to left field and Lowrie scored from third on a single by Asbill after singling and advancing to third on back to back wild pitches.

The Eagles end its six- game road slate in Charlotte on Tuesday, taking on the 49ers at 6:00 p.m.