BOX SCORE

(From Big South Conference Reports)

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Mike Mercurio's seventh inning sacrifice fly broke an 8-8 tie and capped a four-run inning to rally No. 4 High Point past No. 3 Radford, 10-8, in Game 5 of the 2010 Royal Purple Big South Baseball Championship at The Winthrop Ballpark on the campus of Winthrop University.  

With the victory, High Point improves to 30-27 and advances to play No. 2 seed Liberty Thursday night at 7 p.m.  Radford falls to 29-25 and moves to the loser's bracket, where the Highlanders will face No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m.
 
The game featured several ties and lead changes in the late innings, with the Panthers trailing Radford 8-6 before the four-run seventh.

At the plate, Pablo Rosario reached base in all six appearances, officially going 4-5 with three runs scored.  Matt Gantner and Murray White IV also had two hits.  Nate Roberts finished 2-4 with three RBI, including his League-leading 19th home run of the season.
 
Raphael Turner led Radford with a 2-for-4 game highlighted by three RBIs and a two-run homer with two outs in the sixth.  Five players – Tyren Rivers, Brett Mollenhauer, Reggie Keen, Turner and Matt Hillsinger all had two hits each for the Highlanders.  

Roberts, the Big South Player of the Year, belted a two-run home run to put the Panthers up 2-0 in the top of the first inning.  He brought home Rosario, who opened the game with a single to left.  High Point tacked on another run in the second inning when White singled to center, moved to second on Drew Geissinger's sacrifice and scored on a fielding error by Radford second baseman Phil Bondi.
 
The Highlanders cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning when Mollenhauer drew a two-out walk and eventually scored on Turner's single to centerfield.  High Point extended its lead to 5-1 in the top of the fourth on Gantner's RBI fielder's choice and Steve Antolik's sacrifice fly.
 
Radford would continue its comeback and tie the game at 5-5 in the fifth inning.  In the fourth, Andrew Cook blasted a solo home run to left center to make it 5-2.  Radford then plated three runs in the fifth to knot the game.  Rivers singled, stole second and later came home on Keen's single to right to make it 5-3.  Then with two outs, Hillsinger doubled to right and scored Keen and Alex Guerra to make it 5-5.  Guerra had reached base with a walk and also stole a base in the inning.
 
But as quickly as Radford tied it, High Point took the lead right back in the next inning.  Rosario reached on a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by Mercurio.  Radford starter Aerik Taylor was replaced by Paul DeVito, who threw a wild pitch to move Rosario to third.  A passed ball by RU catcher Robert Lamas allowed Rosario to score.
 
High Point's lead was short-lived, as Radford took its first lead of the night in the sixth inning on Turner's blast that put the Highlanders ahead, 8-6.  Mollenhauer tied the game at 6-6 earlier in the inning when he singled home Bondi, who walked to open the inning.  Just as the previous three innings, High Point then stormed back with four runs in the seventh inning to re-take the lead for good at 10-8.  The rally was highlighted by Sal Pezzino's two-RBI pinch-hit single to tie the game at 8-8.  Mercurio followed with his sacrifice fly, and Roberts singled home the Panthers' 10th run of the game.
 
High Point's final two pitchers, Corey Swickle and Al Yevoli, shut down the Highlanders the final 3 1/3 innings, as the duo combined to allow one hit, no runs and four strikeouts.  Swickle was credited with the win to move to 5-2, with Yevoli earning his first save of the year.  Brad Wimmer (3-2) suffered the loss for Radford, as he was charged with four earned runs in just 0.1 innings on the hill.  HPU starter Jamie Serber went five innings and tied his career-high with seven strikeouts in the no decision.  Taylor lasted 5 1/3 innings for Radford and allowed six runs, although three were unearned.
 
 
High Point Head Coach Craig Cozart
“We hoped after the Charleston Southern series that this team had recaptured some of the magic from earlier in the year.  Obviously after tonight we have.  I'm very glad we were able to respond offensively and put up zeroes in the last three innings.  Hats off to Corey Swickle and Al Yevoli.  They pitched great out of the bullpen.”
 
Radford Head Coach Joe Raccuia
“We obviously didn't do enough to win.  I was disappointed with how we played in the first four innings.  We now have to go play one of the best teams in the country to survive.”