CONWAY, S.C. – Center fielder Rico Noel hit a walk-off home run to lead off the 10th inning, lifting No. 19 Coastal Carolina to a 3-2 win over Radford in the first game of a Big South Baseball series at Vrooman Field/Watson Stadium Friday afternoon.

Noel ended a back-and-forth extra inning affair with his blast into the wind in left field, leading off the bottom of the 10th with the game-winning swing. The homer was his only hit of the day.

After Radford (14-12, 7-4 Big South) went ahead 2-1 in the eighth inning on junior catcher Robert Lamas' (Annandale, Va./Paul VI) two-out RBI single on a 3-2 pitch, Coastal Carolina (27-7, 7-2) shortstop Taylor Motter delivered the tying run on a single through the left side in the ninth to tie the game at 2-2.

Both starting pitchers turned in outstanding performances, going seven innings each. Radford right-hander Aerik Taylor (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) gave his team a chance to win, allowing just a run on six hits while striking out four and setting down 13 Chanticleers in a row between the first and seventh innings. Taylor fired five 1-2-3 innings. Coastal Carolina lefty Cody Wheeler left trailing in the seventh, but struck out 10 hitters while allowing six hits. 

Wheeler was picked up by right-handed closer Nick McCully, who worked three scoreless innings to pick up the win (3-0) for the Chanticleers.

Freshman right-hander Jason Patten (Davidsonville, Md./Archbishop Spalding) took the loss (0-2), allowing two runs in two innings of relief. Patten stopped the Chanticleers with runners on the corners in the eighth, and rallied in the ninth to retire the side in order after giving up the tying run.

Radford had four players pick up two hits, led by Lamas, who drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth and scored the tying run in the top of the second, on freshman second baseman Brett Mollenhauer's (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) RBI groundout.

Junior right fielder Reggie Keen (Danville, Va./G.W.-Danville) also singled, keeping alive a 13-game hitting streak.

Coastal Carolina had a pair of two-hit performances, including right fielder Daniel Bowman, who scored after leading off the ninth with a walk.

The series ends tomorrow, with a doubleheader beginning at noon. Live audio of both games is available at RadfordAthletics.com.