Eagles Hand Radford Conference-Opening Loss

RADFORD, Va. -- Winthrop collected 18 hits, including two home runs from left fielder Kyle Roberson, and then held off a Radford rally to down the Highlanders 11-7 in a Big South Conference baseball game Friday afternoon at Dedmon Center Park. (Box Score)

The Conference-opening loss drops RU to 5-14 overall, 0-1 in the Big South. Mark Fleisher (2-3) took the loss for Radford, allowing 10 hits and eight runs in five innings. Winthrop’s Kevin Slowey (6-0) got the win, throwing seven innings, allowing six hits and four runs. The Eagles improve to 4-0 in the League and 18-6 overall.

Trailing 11-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, Radford staged a short rally. Pinch hitter David Landman hit a one-out single to score pinch hitter John Vellines. Catcher Scott Hoar then doubled, scoring Landman and right fielder Matt Mantione, pulling Radford within four. Second baseman Alan Ashworth hit a two-out single to move Hoar to third and put runners at the corners, but first baseman Kellen Wohlford’s follow-up single to the right side hit Ashworth as he broke for second, ending the rally.

Wohlford was 3-for-5 to lead the Highlander offense. Left fielder Jonathan Spears went 2-for-3 while centerfielder Steve Mignogna and Hoar each collected two RBI. Roberson’s 4-for-5 performance with five RBI led the Eagles. First baseman Heath Rollins was 3-for-3 and second baseman Carrara went 3-for-5 at the plate.

Winthrop poured on the offense early, scoring four runs in the first inning. Right fielder Daniel Carte doubled to right center, scoring leadoff batter Carrara, who reached on an infield single. Roberson followed with the first of his two home runs, scoring Carte and Rollins.

The Highlanders pulled within one in the third however, sparked by a leadoff solo home run by Mark Fleisher. Mignogna hit a two-RBI single that scored shortstop Ben Toth and third baseman Jesse Ross. Roberson responded in the third by hitting his second dinger, a solo shot to left, giving Winthrop a 5-3 lead.

The Eagles pushed their lead to five by tallying three runs in the fifth. Roberson hit a RBI single that scored Rollins. Centerfielder Tommy Lentz then blooped a single to left field, scoring Roberson and designated hitter Jacob Dempsey. WU added two more in the sixth when third baseman Ben Ehrlich, who led off the inning with a triple, scored on a Carrara single. Dempsey later singled to score Rollins.

Radford added one run in the bottom of the sixth when a ground out by Ross scored Wohlford, who reached on a leadoff triple. Winthrop fired back in the next inning, however, adding its final run on a double-play ball by third baseman Mitch Saum that allowed catcher Alan Robbins to score.

The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday to complete the three-game Conference series. First pitch of game one is set for 11:30 a.m.