BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – Matt Mack's (Davidsonville, Md./St. John's College H.S.) two-out double with the bases loaded in the eighth gave Radford the lead and Reggie Keen's (Danville, Va./G.W.-Danville) game-ending diving catch with a runner on first in the ninth gave the Highlanders their seventh straight win, 5-4 over UNC Asheville in the finale of a Big South baseball series on Sunday afternoon.

Mack delivered the game-winning hit when he found the gap in left center field, clearing the bases on his only hit to give the Highlanders (10-7, 3-0 Big South) their first lead of the day.  

The inning began when Rick Hoogstraten led off with a bloop double to right center and Brett Mollenhauer walked to put runners at first and second.  Two batters later, Tyren Rivers reached on an error at short, loading the bases with one out.   UNC Asheville starter Ryan Schumer, who was in his eighth inning of work, struck out Keen but couldn't retire Mack.

In the ninth, Jason Patten set down the first two hitters before a walk to Catlin Carter put the tying run on base for the Bulldogs.  The next hitter, Robert McIntosh, roped a fly ball towards the gap in right center field but Keen sprinted to the alley and dove to his right to make the game-saving catch for the Highlanders.

"It was just indescribable what Reggie Keen did in the ninth,” head coach Joe Raccuia said.  “He was Superman, and made a Superman catch.  His offense on the day didn't translate to his defense, and that's a sign of a great captain.

“He made the best defensive play I've ever seen to end a game.”

Radford's seventh consecutive win puts the Highlanders one away from tying the school record of eight in a row, set during the 1990 season.

Schumer, who was making just his second start of the season, suffered the loss (0-1) for UNC Asheville (4-12, 0-3 Big South) despite allowing just one earned run.  The right-hander set down the first 13 Radford hitters of the game, before allowing a solo homer to Raphael Turner in the fifth inning, his second of the season.  Schumer, who fell victim to a pair of Bulldog errors, went 7 2/3 innings and struck out 10 hitters while allowing five hits.

“Offensively, we had a tough day,” Raccuia said.  “Schumer threw well, he used both sides of the plate with some sink, and he gave a group that was really confident coming in some real fits today.  He left one ball up late to Mack, and Matt made the most of it to win the game.  Schumer definitely deserved better than what he got.”

Radford right-handed reliever Brad Wimmer picked up the win (1-0), holding the Bulldogs scoreless in his 2 2/3 innings of work.   Patten worked the ninth to earn his second save of the season and the 11th of his career.  Starter Bobby Bolling lasted 5 1/3 innings, yielding three earned runs on seven hits.

“Basically, our pitchers did a great job today,” Raccuia said.  “Bolling did a good job and Wimmer shut the door for us.  We got a great start, and our three guys did the job once again.”

Schumer and Danny Baatz had a pair of hits each for UNC Asheville.

The Bulldogs led 4-1 before Radford answered with four runs in the final two innings.  Asheville took the lead on Carter's two-out single in the third, scoring Baatz to go ahead 1-0.  In the fifth, Baatz scored again after his leadoff single, coming home on a double play ball to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.

UNC Asheville added a pair in the sixth on Ian Graham's double to left field and on an error at second base with two outs that allowed Graham to come home, extending Asheville's lead to 4-1.  

Radford answered in the seventh to make it 4-2 when Rivers, who singled to lead off the inning, scored on Ryan Burgess' (Richmond, Va./Steward School) infield single.

Radford will try and extend its winning streak to eight games on Tuesday, with a 6 p.m. game at East Tennessee State.