LEXINGTON, Va. - Senior Aerik Taylor hurled his first career complete game to push Radford to a 9-2 win over VMI in Big South Conference action Friday evening at Gray-Minor Stadium. The win improves the Highlanders to 22-19 on the season and 9-7 in the Big South, while the Keydets fall to 29-15 overall and 10-9 in league play.
Taylor (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport/Hagerstown CC) scattered eight hits and allowed just two runs, one earned, while striking out nine, improving to 5-1 on the year. The right-hander needed just 81 pitches to reach the ninth inning but labored once he got there, allowing a home run to Jordan Ballard and two more base runners before notching a strikeout to end the evening on his 107th pitch.
He got sufficient help from his offense, as the team scored in six different innings to total their nine runs. Matt Mack went 3 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs, while Andrew Cook also plated a pair while going 2 for 3. Brett Mollenhauer was 3 for 4 with two doubles from the bottom slot in the order, as the bottom four hitters in the lineup went 8 for 15 with five runs driven in.
For the Keydets, Adam Lopez (5-2) struck out nine in 5.1 innings, but was charged six runs, five earned. At the plate, Graham Sullivan went 3 for 4 for VMI's first multi-hit game four contests, while Cory Spangenberg led off the fourth with a double and scored the team's first run. Ballard then struck with his 17th home run of the season with two outs in the ninth, taking sole possession of the school's single-season home runs record.
"I thought Adam (Lopez) did a nice job of eliminating the big inning early," said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. "Then we threw a ball away at first base, and that led to two runs. We gave up three in the sixth inning, and we couldn't fire back. I was pleased with our focus today, but unfortunately we didn't get a win. But that's why we play a three-game series, hopefully we can come out tomorrow with that same focus and energy and focus a little bit better."
The Highlanders took a 1-0 lead in the second, when Mack doubled with one out, then scored on Cook's single through the left-side of the infield. The visitors made it 2-0 in the third, when Mollenhauer opened the frame with a two-bagger and scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Reggie Keen.
Another run came across in the top of the fourth, when Mack singled and went all the way to third on a throwing error by Lopez on a failed pickoff attempt. Cook dropped down a squeeze bunt in front of the plate that plated Mack, pushing the lead to 3-0.
The Keydets countered with an unearned run of their own in the home-half, as Spangenberg came around to score from second base when Keen booted Sullivan's single. The 3-1 margin was as close as VMI got the rest of the way, as Radford produced a three-run rally in the sixth. Mack opened the scoring with his one-out solo home run, before Cook scored from second base on another throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt. Mollenhauer plated the third run with his knock into center field, bringing the score to 6-1.
Mack struck again in the seventh, plating Raphael Turner with a groundout. In the ninth, A double by Matt Hillsinger and a wild pitch led to two more Radford runs, before VMI posted its two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth.
The teams continue the series Saturday afternoon, with first pitch set for 4 p.m. Fans can watch the game online on the Big South Network, available at www.BigSouthSports.com, or listen to the game on the VMI Sports Network, available on Lexington's Fox Sports Radio 1450 AM, or online at www.VMIKeydets.com.
