ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Radford's five-run ninth inning rally capped a comeback from down 7-2 in the fourth inning and lifted the fourth-seeded Highlanders to an 11-7 win over No. 1 Coastal Carolina at McCormick Field Thursday afternoon at the 2009 Big South baseball tournament.

With the win, Radford (26-23) moves to a matchup with No. 2 Winthrop on Friday at 3 p.m. The victory by the Highlanders guarantees that five teams remain after the second day of the double-elimination bracket, creating the scenario that pairs up the Eagles and Radford for a trip to the tournament championship on Saturday.

Radford scored five runs over the last two innings, nine unanswered, starting the rally with senior first baseman Alex Gregory's (Great Falls, Va./Paul VI) two-run homer to straight away center field with two outs in the eighth inning to make the score 7-6, Coastal Carolina.

Gregory hit his tenth home run of the season and tied the school's career record of 38, set by Kelly Dampeer (1994-97).

After senior left fielder Will Naylor (Clifton, Va./Paul VI) hit into a fielder's choice to put Radford one out away from elimination, freshman second baseman Brett Mollenhauer (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) singled to center to extend the game and put runners at the corners for the Highlanders.

Junior Tyren Rivers (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond River) followed with a first-pitch single into right field to score Naylor and tie the game at 7-7. The next batter, junior right fielder Reggie Keen (Danville, Va./G.W.-Danville), was down to his final strike on a 1-2 count before a single to left scored Mollenhauer to give Radford its first lead of the day, 8-7. Freshman Matt Hillsinger (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) and Gregory added RBI hits to give Radford insurance and an 11-7 lead in the ninth.

Freshman right-hander Jason Patten (Davidsonville, Md./Archbishop Spalding), the school's new single-season saves leader, closed out the game by striking out the side in the ninth and preserving the victory for the Highlanders.

For Radford, Gregory, Rivers and Naylor delivered three hits each, and Keen drove in four runs with a 2-for-4 day, along with his four walks. Gregory drove in three and walked three times.

Hillsinger came off the bench to go 2-for-2 and junior catcher Robert Lamas (Annandale, Va./Paul VI) went 2-for-4, as Radford out-hit Coastal Carolina 16-6.

Freshman lefty Paul DeVito (Annapolis, Md./Archbishop Spalding) boosted the Highlanders with 3 2/3 innings of relief, striking out five while limiting Coastal Carolina to a run on four hits. Junior right-hander Jake Quigg (Glen Arm, Md./Loyola) tossed a scoreless inning-and two-thirds to earn the win (5-1).

Coastal Carolina was led by two hits from designated hitter Adam Rice. First baseman David Anderson and left fielder Scott Woodward drove in two runs each.

Right-hander Bobby Gagg kept the Highlanders off balance until the eighth, but was charged with all seven late runs to take the loss (4-3). Gagg fanned six hitters over his 3 2/3 innings.

Coastal Carolina opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Center fielder Rico Noel was hit by a pitch to reach base for the sixth-straight time in the tournament.  He stole second and third base and scored on Anderson's deep ground out to third base to give the Chanticleers an early 1-0 lead. 

The Chanticleers stretched the lead to 3-0 in the second frame when Woodward singled home catcher Jose Iglesias and second baseman Steve Davis with one out.

Radford pushed home its first run in the top of the third inning when Mollenhauer reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on Rivers' single to center. Keen followed with a base hit to left that plated Mollenhauer, making it 2-1.

In the bottom half of the third, Coastal Carolina moved ahead 6-1. Anderson and third baseman Tyler Bortnick drew consecutive walks, and were moved up one base on right fielder Daniel Bowman's sacrifice. A fielding error allowed Anderson and Bortnick to score for a 5-1 advantage, and shortstop Taylor Motter reached on a fielder's choice and came around on a Davis single to center.

The Highlanders began to chip away at Coastal's lead in the fourth inning. Naylor reached on a two-out infield single and was brought home on a sharp single by Rivers, making it 6-2. 

In the sixth, Lamas doubled, then was doubled home by Naylor to cut Coastal's lead to 7-3, and Keen's sac fly with one out scored Naylor to bring Radford within three runs, 7-4.