BOX SCORE

LEXINGTON, Va. – Aerik Taylor fired a complete game eight-hitter, going the distance for the first time in his career and leading Radford to a 9-2 win over VMI in the first game of a Big South baseball series on Friday night.

Taylor, who tossed the first complete game for a Highlander pitcher since April 25, 2008, allowed just one earned run and fanned nine VMI (29-15, 10-9 Big South) hitters on the way to his fifth win of the season (5-1).

The righty put the side down in order five times and induced four double plays by the Keydets, lifting the Highlanders (22-19, 9-7) to their third straight win and fifth over their last eight Big South games.  VMI has lost 10 in a row since beating top-ranked Virginia on April 21.

“When your Friday guy pitches like that, keeping guys off balance and throwing three pitches for strikes, you're supposed to win,” head coach Joe Raccuia said.  

Offensively, Radford got three hits each from Matt Mack and Brett Mollenhauer.  Mack drove in a pair of runs, including a solo homer in the sixth, his seventh of the season.  Mollenhauer went for extra bases twice, doubling in the third and fifth innings while scoring twice.

Reggie Keen and Tyren Rivers each stole a pair of bases – Keen tied the Radford single-season school record of 27, established by Kellen Wolhlford in 2004, on his ninth-inning swipe.

“We scored enough, and kept adding, and adding, and adding,” Raccuia said.  “We were able to put some pressure on them defensively, and they made some mistakes.  Also, we were able to execute in some of our RBI situations, but left some on base still.”

For VMI, Graham Sullivan had the only multi-hit game, going 3-for-4.  Jordan Ballard hit his 17th homer of the season with two outs in the ninth inning and the Keydets trailing 9-1.

The Highlanders plated single runs in the second, third, fourth and seventh innings, and had three in the sixth.  In that inning, Mack hit his one-out blast over the scoreboard in left center, giving Radford a 4-1 lead.  Three batters later, Mollenhauer singled home Andrew Cook before coming home on Keen's fielder's choice groundout, putting the Highlanders ahead 5-1. 

Cook was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, including one on a squeeze play that scored Mack in the fourth.

Adam Lopez, who struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings for the Keydets, suffered his second straight loss (5-2). 

The series continues on Saturday at 4 p.m.