BOX SCORE CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Nate Irving singled home the winning run in the 11th inning to lift No. 25 Virginia to a 3-2 win over Radford on Tuesday night.
 
Blake Sipe drove in both runs for Radford (23-17) – he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, then put down a squeeze bunt in the seventh inning to score Cory Turner from third and tie the game at 2-2.
 
Turner led the Highlanders with a 3-for-4 night, including three doubles in as many at bats.
 
Irving's fourth hit, the game-winner, came with runners at first and second and one out in the 11th.  Mitchell Shifflett doubled to right center field to give the Cavaliers (27-14-1) a man in scoring position.  On the next play, Colin Harrington reached on an error at third, putting two on.  Irving hit the first pitch he saw from Abram Williams sharply down the right field line to score Shifflett and give Virginia the win.
 
The Highlanders had runners in scoring position from the eighth through 10th innings.  In the 10th, Sipe hit a leadoff single and went to second on a sacrifice by Carl Travers, but was left stranded.

“We knew tonight that the game was going to come down to one at-bat or one pitch,” head coach Joe Raccuia said.  “When you play a good team like that you have to take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to you, and we missed a few."
 
The best Radford scoring opportunity was in the fifth – Matt Mack and Turner had hits, and Hunter Higgerson reached on an error to load the bases with no one out.  Sipe was hit to bring home a run, but Virginia lefty starter Kyle Crockett got two strikeouts and a line out to end the inning.
 
Crockett went five innings, struck out eight and didn't allow an earned run.
 
The Cavaliers committed two errors but turned three double plays, including one in the 11th.
 
Virginia struck first in the game.  Chris Taylor led off the first inning with a hit, went to second on a steal, third on a ground ball out, and scored on Stephen Bruno's sacrifice fly to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead.
 
Radford native Jared King gave Virginia back the lead in the sixth on his sacrifice fly that scored Brandon Cogswell, who singled to lead off.
 
Radford starter Jake Palese gave up two runs in his 5 2/3 innings – Keith Fritz and Jason Patten followed his good effort with a combined 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
 
Virginia closer Justin Thompson posted 2 2/3 scoreless frames to earn the win (3-1) while Williams took the loss (1-3).

“This team has a lot of baseball left in them and I feel we have a chance to be really good," Raccuia said.  "If we keep making more pitches and more plays like we have, then we have a chance to play in June.”

The Highlanders look to improve on their 8-4 Big South record when they open a three-game series with Presbyterian at home on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.