BOX SCORE

ELON, N.C. – Seth Canipe's walk-off two-run homer for Elon in the ninth inning completed a five-run rally and gave the Phoenix a 7-6 win over Radford in the final game of the Elon Invitational on Sunday.

The Highlanders (3-6), who had a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning, saw the Phoenix (7-4) rally with six unanswered runs for the eventual win when Canipe's shot cleared the left field wall with one out in the ninth.

“From a fan's perspective, it was a great college baseball game,” head coach Joe Raccuia said.  “There were great defensive plays, timely hits, a walk-off home run, and it was an enjoyable to game to be around and watch.  

“But we need to do a better job of playing nine innings.”

Canipe was 4-for-4 for Elon in the win.  After starter Daniel Britt exited after the fourth, John Brebbia and Thomas Girdwood held Radford scoreless the rest of the way, allowing three hits in five combined shutout innings.  Girdwood picked up the win (1-0).

Robert Lamas (Annandale, Va./Paul VI) led five Radford hitters with multi-hit games, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.  Lamas drove home the first two runs of the game on his single down the third base line in the second inning, triggering a 4-run inning for Radford.  Tyren Rivers (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond River) and Brett Mollenhauer (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) singled home runs in the second, giving the Highlanders a 4-0 lead.

All of Radford's runs came with two outs.  The Highlanders added two more in the fourth on RBI hits by Reggie Keen (Danville, Va./G.W.-Danville) and Jeff Kemp (Bowie, Md./Archibishop Spalding).  

“We played a fantastic six innings and then we never added runs,” Raccuia said. “When you're playing in this ballpark [Latham Park], which is small, you need to continue to add runs especially against a team as good as Elon offensively.  That's what was disappointing about today, we were hanging on to a lead.”

Canipe, Mike Mellilo and Ryan Adams had two RBIs each for the Phoenix.  Mellilo had RBI hits in the fifth and seventh innings, starting a three-run rally in the seventh, and Adams drove in runs in the second and seventh innings.

Radford righty Bobby Bolling (Plant City, Fla./Armwood) made his first start of the season and gave the Highlanders a lift, allowing two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.  Jason Patten (Davidsonville, Md./Archbishop Spalding), working the ninth one night after a two-inning save, took the loss (0-1).  

“I trust those guys on the back end of our bullpen to finish the game, but we need to do a better job overall in the last third of the game,” Raccuia said.

The Highlanders play their first midweek game of the season on Tuesday, hosting George Mason at Salem Memorial Ballpark.  First pitch is 2 p.m.