MOBILE, Ala. – Behind a three-RBI day from second baseman Ty Dooley and a shutdown performance from the bullpen, the Radford baseball team defeated Oral Roberts, 7-4, in the finale of the South Alabama Invitational, securing their first win of the season.

Dooley was the star of the show on offense, as he went 2-for-4 with a run scored, highlighted by a clutch hit in the sixth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, the freshman laced a single to center field to score Zach Whitacre and Michael Williams, giving the Highlanders their first lead of the day at 6-4.

The hit was part of a five-run outburst in the sixth, in which Radford (1-2) recorded two hits, drew three walks, and were plunked by Oral Roberts pitchers three times. The left fielder Williams got the rally started with a bases-loaded walk, while Whitacre later reached on a fielding error by the Golden Eagles' shortstop. Right fielder Cam Pittman kept the line moving with another RBI-producing base on balls, setting the stage for Dooley's heroics.

The story of the game was the Radford bullpen. After starter Zach Davidson was tagged for four runs in less than three innings, the Highlanders' relief arms stepped in and got the job done, holding Oral Roberts (1-2) scoreless in the final six innings of the contest. William Flanagan tossed a scoreless 2.2 innings of work, while Ty Burton recorded five key outs spanning the seventh and eighth innings.

John Holobetz earned the save, as the freshman from Kaska, Pa. came in with two runners on and nobody out in the ninth before calmly setting down three straight Oral Roberts batters. With the tying run in the batters' box, Holobetz induced consecutive fly ball outs before retiring Eagles' second baseman Mac McCroskey on a foul pop out.

The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Highlanders, as they surrendered four runs in the first inning. But Radford clawed back, holding the Golden Eagles to just three hits in the final six frames before the five-run sixth gave them the lead for good. Derek Domecq (1-0) earned the win, as he recorded two outs in the sixth inning.

NOTABLE STATS

• Both Radford and Oral Roberts recorded seven hits, but the Highlanders were very opportunistic, advancing six baserunners compared to the Golden Eagles' one.
• Catcher Julian Rojas went 2-for-4 with a run.
• Radford held their opposition to 1-for-10 hitting with two out. The Highlanders themselves recorded five two-out hits.

UP NEXT
Radford pays a visit to Davidson for a midweek game on Tuesday. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.

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