BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – Brett Mollenhauer delivered a walk-off single in the 12th, his fourth hit of the day, capping Radford's late-game rally and lifting the Highlanders to a 7-6 win over Presbyterian College on Friday afternoon.

Mollenhauer's hit came with the bases loaded and one out in the 12th, and was part of a two-run inning for Radford (24-20, 11-8 Big South).  

The Highlanders were forced to score in the bottom of the 12th after Nate Horton's solo home run in the top of the inning gave the Blue Hose (12-31, 4-14) a 6-5 lead.   In the home half, Alex Guerra tied the game on his double to right field that scored Raphael Turner before a sacrifice and two intentional walks loaded the bases for Radford.

“After coming out flat, we fought through,” head coach Joe Raccuia said.  “Good teams with confidence find ways to win.”

“When you give yourself enough chances, eventually you're gonna break through.”

Mollenhauer and Robert Lamas had four hits each for Radford, part of a 19-hit effort by the Highlanders.  Lamas drove in a pair of runs, including one in the eighth that gave Radford a 5-3 lead heading to the ninth.  Reggie Keen went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and a stolen base – his swipe was his 28th of the season, making Keen Radford's single-season stolen base leader.

Horton, whose 12th inning homer was his fourth of the season, had an RBI in a two-run eighth inning for Presbyterian, which added two more in the ninth to send the game to extra innings.   

The Blue Hose forced extras, following Radford's insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, when Ryan Morris was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth before scoring on Gabe Grammer's double to left center on the next play.   Presbyterian tied the game when Tony Micklon beat the relay throw to first on what could have been the game-ending double play, scoring Grammer and tying the game at 5-5.

Jesse Harmon went 3-for-6 for Presbyterian in a 12-hit afternoon for the Blue Hose.

Both starters were effective – Aerik Taylor went seven innings for Radford, fanning six while allowing one run on seven hits.  

“He's been consistently giving us those good starts, and we're gonna get to a spot where we're need to rely on those starts,” Raccuia said.  “You don't feel as much urgency with your offense.”

Chris Powell, who allowed four earned runs on 12 hits for Presbyterian, managed to go eight innings.
 
Jason Patten went four innings in relief for the Highlanders to earn his fifth win of the season (5-2).  Patten allowed three runs on four hits, striking out three.  Steven Richardson was charged with the loss (3-7), allowing both of Radford's 12th inning runs.

The Blue Hose needed their late rally – the Highlanders grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third on Keen's two-run double after Lamas and Mollenhauer reached to lead off the inning, then added another on Turner's two-out single that brought home Keen.

Presbyterian got on the board with Kenny Bryant's sacrifice fly in the sixth, but Radford answered in the bottom half on Lamas' run-scoring single to make it a 4-1 lead for the Highlanders.

The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.