BOX SCORE
RADFORD, Va. - Radford used five two-out runs in the bottom of the sixth and a pair of runs in the eighth to overcome North Carolina A&T 8-7 on a frigid Wednesday night.

Seven of Radford's (18-15) ten hits came with two outs and seven of their eight runs were scored with two outs. Lead-off hitter Josh Gardiner went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Blake Sipe delivered three runs on a sixth-inning triple, producing the bulk of the offense.  Daniel Wright went 3-for-3, and scored twice.

Abram Williams worked a perfect ninth to earn his fourth save.

The Aggies (12-21) managed to pull ahead 6-1 through the first four innings but Radford outscored A&T 7-1 in the last five.
“We battled,” head coach Joe Raccuia said. “In the last five innings of the baseball game we got better.  I knew we were going to score some. I knew it was a matter of time.”

North Carolina A&T struck first in the third inning, scoring three runs. Brandon Wilkerson plated Stefan Jordan on a triple that sailed to the wall in right center with nobody out.  Wilkerson was knocked in two batters later by Andre McKoy, who singled up the middle to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead.  The Aggies scored once again in the inning after a fielding error at short, leading to a sacrifice fly by Marquis Riley to make it 3-0.

The Highlanders responded in their half of the third with a two-out double down the left field line by Jeff Kemp to score Brett Mollenhauer, after he rallied with a two-out single to reach base.

Wilkerson struck again in the fourth with a two-run, bases-loaded single to give North Carolina A&T a 5-1 lead. The Aggies added another run on a productive groundout by Michael Radford, pushing the score to 6-1.

With two outs and Kemp aboard in the sixth, Cory Turner reached on a single and Daniel Wright was hit by a pitch, setting up Sipe for his bases-clearing triple.  Sipe scored on a wild pitch on the next play, closing the gap to 6-5.  After pinch-hitter Zach Costello was hit by a pitch, Gardiner tied the game with a single off reliever Joe Mackey through the left side to score Costello.

North Carolina A&T had a two-out rally of their own in the seventh, after Tendler knocked in Riley for the go-ahead run with a single to center field to put the Aggies back ahead, 7-6.

With runners at the corners In the eighth, Gardiner hit a sacrifice fly to score the tying run.  Costello, who singled the play before, got to second on a stolen base before a fielding error by Tendler at third allowed him to score the go-ahead run.

Jason Patten worked two innings for the Highlanders late in the game, earning his second win (2-2).  Jeff Maxwell had two scoreless relief innings before Patten came on in the seventh.

Mackey worked the final 2 1/3 innings, including the decisive eighth, to take the loss (0-3).

 “Hopefully this is another opportunity for our team to right themselves,” Raccuia said.

Radford continues its homestand on Friday night, opening a three-game series with Fairleigh Dickinson at 6:30 p.m.