ELON, N.C. – Alex Guerra (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) singled home the winning run in the 11th inning, completing a Radford rally from down five runs and giving the Highlanders a 9-8 win over Princeton on Friday night at the Elon Invitational.

Trailing 8-3, Radford (2-5) scored six unanswered runs from the fifth inning on, before Guerra's two-out single scored Jeff Kemp (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) to complete the comeback for the Highlanders.

Radford had to rally down to its final out in the ninth inning, when Tyren Rivers (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond River) scored on an error at second base that extended the game.

Rivers was 3-for-5 at the plate, driving in a pair of runs and scoring twice. Reggie Keen (Danville, Va./G.W.-Danville) and Kemp added two hits each, with Keen driving in two and Kemp scoring twice. Matt Hillsinger (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) walked three times and scored twice.

Four Radford relievers combined to shut down Princeton from the fourth inning on, allowing just three hits the rest of the way with nine strikeouts. Abram Williams (Radford, Va./Radford) worked the final 2 2/3 innings to pick up the win (1-1), allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.

Princeton lost its season opener after scoring all eight of its runs in the first four innings, touching Radford right-handed starter Aerik Taylor (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) for eight runs on 11 hits. The Tigers put up five in the third, with two-RBI hits from Jon Broscious and Noel Gonzales-Luna. 

Brian Berkowitz went 3-for-5 and scored twice for Princeton, leading five multi-hit efforts for the Tigers.

Chad Ohlendorf took the loss, working the decisive 11th inning (0-1).

Radford continues play in the Elon Invitational on Saturday against Bucknell at 7 p.m.