BOX SCORE

RADFORD, Va. – Alex Guerra delivered a four-RBI game and Eddie Butler struck out a career-high 10 as Radford picked up a 9-6 Big South series-opening win over Winthrop on Friday.

Guerra went 3-for-4 with two doubles and also scored two runs for the Highlanders (19-14, 5-5 Big South). Ryan Burgess drove home three runs and had two doubles in a 2-for-4 night.

Butler earned the win (5-1) and went eight innings for the second time in his last three starts. He set the side down in order in the third through sixth innings, limiting the Eagles while Radford built a 9-2 lead through seven innings.

“Our Friday night guy did what he's expected to do, which is keep us in the game until we get some runs and he did that,” head coach Joe Raccuia said. “We played great defense today, and especially when it mattered in the ninth, when Jeff Kemp made a play on a ball up the middle that could have allowed them to bring the tying run to the plate.”

Patrick Gamblin had a 4-for-4 game with three doubles, scoring twice for Winthrop (18-17, 8-5).

Tyler Mizenko took the loss (3-2) – Mizenko, after allowing three first inning runs, retired 13 batters in a row through the bottom half of the inning through the fifth. Mizenko went six innings, allowing six runs on seven hits. 

“When Mizenko makes mistakes, you have to hurt him," Raccuia said.  "He's good, and he doesn't make them often. We emphasized hitting with advantage counts and being aggressive, and not so nit-picky.”

Jeff Kemp, who went 2-for-4 to extend a five-game hit streak, broke up Mizenko's string of 13 consecutive retired batters with a leadoff single to left field in the bottom of the sixth. After he stole second and third base, Guerra delivered his third RBI of the game to make the score 4-1. Burgess then roped a two-run double to straight-away center field that reached the warning track and extended Radford's lead to 6-1.

The Highlanders added three more in the seventh on sacrifice flys by Kemp and Cory Turner, then Guerra made it a 9-2 game with his two out double that scored Matt Mack.

In the eighth, Winthrop's Matt Lobacz hit his second homer of the year over the left field fence, a two-run shot, to make it a 9-4 game. Winthrop added two more runs in the ninth before Jason Patten came in with two outs to record the final out and earn his first save.

After the Eagles took an early 1-0 when Chas Crane scored on a wild pitch with two outs, Matt Hillsinger and Kemp led off the home half of the first with singles through opposite sides of the infield. Guerra then doubled to right center with two outs, scoring both Hillsinger and Kemp to make it 2-1. On the next play, Guerra scored when Burgess doubled to right center.