Miracle Ninth Inning Ends in 14-Inning Affair as Baseball Falls Just Short in Extras to Winthrop

BOX SCORE ROCK HILL, S.C. –The Radford baseball program fell in their Big South opener Friday night despite a heroic ninth inning effort that saw the program erase a four-run deficit with two outs to force extras. The game would run a marathon length of 14 innings before Winthrop snuck out the win in the 10-9 final.

After an error to lead off the game, Radford's offense wasn't able to take advantage to start scoreless. Raymond Ladd was sharp in his first inning of work, though, picking up a strikeout in a clean start.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, Radford fell victim to a pair of untimely hit by pitches that brought two runs in and gave Winthrop the 2-0 edge. Alex Levesque got Radford's first hit of the game in the third, but the team remained scoreless after a pick off and strikeout.

With two outs in the third, Winthrop's timely hitting came up big as a triple and single brought in another run to put them up 3-0. In the top of the fourth, Radford's offense would finally break through. After two outs to start the inning, Eli Hudgins got on base with an infield single. Breckin Nace followed him with a home run to deep right that pulled the game back within reach at 3-2.

Ladd responded with a clean fourth and fifth innings with no baserunners to end his day with five innings of solid work. The Eagles would tack on another run in the sixth, though, with an RBI groundout that pushed their lead back up to 4-2.

The Eagles led off the seventh with a solo homer and added one more with an RBI double that followed an error to push their lead to 6-2. After a scoreless inning in relief by Mason Self in the eighth, the rally began in the ninth.

A walk began the inning and an error put two men on, but Winthrop got two outs to bring the Highlanders down to their last chance. That last chance would repeat for the next seven batters as the Highlanders mounted the improbable comeback. An RBI single by Nace kicked off the rally and Devin Parks quickly followed with an RBI single of his own that made it a 6-4 deficit.

The hit train kept rolling as Junho Son singled to pull Radford within a run. A pitching change wouldn't slow Radford down as Luke Sullivan brought home the tying run with yet another single. Tyler Sparrer would boost Radford ahead for their first lead of the game with a two-RBI single that made it 8-6 Radford.

Winthrop didn't go away quietly striking for two runs in the bottom of the ninth which would for extras. In the tenth and eleventh innings, neither side's offense had any answers as Trey Ludy did a great job bouncing back to keep the game alive into the 12th.

In the top of the 12th, Radford loaded the bases thanks to a single from Sparrer, a single by Brady Powell and a walk from Hunter Keen. Radford was able to draw in one run thanks to a Hudgins hit by pitch making it 9-8 Radford. Winthrop again responded in kind in the bottom half, though, squeezing in a run with two outs to retie the game.

After neither team got a baserunner on in the 13th, Radford wasn't able to take advantage of two walks in the 14th. That proved big, as walks became an issue on the pitching end as Winthrop loaded the bases without a hit. The Eagles got the final strike as an infield single walked off the game in their favor 10-9.

UP NEXT
Radford will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon with the second game in the series against Winthrop. Action is set for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch on ESPN+.

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Players Mentioned

#16 Eli Hudgins: INF; 5' 11"; Sophomore; R/R

#40 Raymond Ladd: RHP; 6' 6"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#20 Trey Ludy: RHP; 6' 1"; Junior; R/R

#33 Breckin Nace: LHP/1B; 6' 4"; Junior; L/L

#1 Brady Powell: MIF; 5' 8"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#23 Mason Self: INF/RHP; 6' 3"; Junior; R/R

#34 Tyler Sparrer: C; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#7 Junho Son: UTL; 5' 8"; Junior; R/L

#13 Hunter Keen: INF; 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R

#5 Devin Parks: OF; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#16 Eli Hudgins
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; R/R
: INF

#40 Raymond Ladd
: 6' 6"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#20 Trey Ludy
: 6' 1"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#33 Breckin Nace
: 6' 4"; Junior; L/L
: LHP/1B

#1 Brady Powell
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: MIF

#23 Mason Self
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: INF/RHP

#34 Tyler Sparrer
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: C

#7 Junho Son
: 5' 8"; Junior; R/L
: UTL

#13 Hunter Keen
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; R/R
: INF

#5 Devin Parks
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: OF

Radford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned