LATE HOME RUN LIFTS WAKE FOREST PAST RADFORD

BOX SCORE WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Evan Stephens hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Wake Forest (5-3) a 5-4 victory over Radford (2-5) in the final game of the WFU Invitational at Gene Hooks Field. Radford got two-run doubles from Aaron Scoville and Blake Sipe to account for all the Highlander scoring, but the Demon Deacons held on for the win.

Radford took a 2-1 lead in the second on Scoville's two-run double. Patrick Marshall, who singled to lead off the inning, and Hunter Higgerson, who double prior to Scoville, came in to score.

"It was good to see some doubles with runs coming in," Radford head coach Joe Raccuia said. "Hopefully we can build on those good at bats."

The Deacons tied the game in the bottom half of the second on an RBI single by Matt Conway. Conway finished the day 3-4.

The game stayed tied into the bottom of the fifth when WFU pushed across two runs off RU releiver Mitchell MacKeith. Jack Carey's pinch hit double drove in both runs.

Radford had the answer in the sixth. Sipe rifled a two-out line drive into the left field corner to drive in Scoville and Marshall. Both runs were unearned as Alexander Lee led off the inning reaching on a Wake fielding error.

"We played a pretty clean game," Raccuia said. "We need our starters to get deeper into games if we are going to be successful down the line."

RU starter Ryan Meisinger went 3.2 innings giving up two runs on five hits.

Stephens provided the winning run off Nygeal Andrews (0-2), who took the loss despite giving up just two hits in 1.2 innings of relief. Nate Jones (1-0) worked a perfect eighth to earn the victory for Wake. Aaron Fossas earned the save, his first of the season.

Radford travels Tuesday to face Virginia Tech at English Field in Blacksburg. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

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