Box Score Box Score

Steve Antolik's solo home run in the sixth inning lifted the High Point University baseball team to a 13-12 win over Radford Saturday at Williard Stadium. Seven HPU pitchers took the mound with junior Drew Dades earning his first win of the season. Junior Mikel Rodenberg picked up his sixth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.

“This is obviously a much needed win,” said assistant coach Bryan Peters. “It was a dramatic, back-and-forth win and our relief pitchers did a great job tonight. Their performance is a good sign for the team and hopefully it will help them buy in to the fact that we can win in different ways. Jaime Schultz, Mike Caldwell, Drew Dades, Kyle Starnes, Spencer Andrews and Mikel Rodenberg all saved that game for us.”

HPU starter Al Yevoli struck out all three batters in the first inning and the Panthers put up six runs in the bottom half of the first on seven hits and two Highlander errors. Pablo Rosario led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a base hit by Nate Roberts. The Panthers would bat around in the inning, allowing Rosario to come up again. He doubled down the right field line to score Murray White IV.

With a 6-0 lead, Yevoli struggled in the second inning, he picked up his fourth strikeout before he gave up five runs and left the game with the bases still loaded. Schultz came out of the bullpen but struggled to get the third out, allowing all three inherited runners to score as well as giving up a run of his own. The Highlanders led 9-6 at the end of two innings.

The Panthers took the lead back in the third with a five-run inning. Rosario earned a bases loaded walk to pick up and RBI and Mike Mercurio hit a sacrifice fly, his first of two in the game. Drew Geissinger scored on a wild pitch and Matt Gantner pushed across two runs with a single up the middle.

After his struggles in the second inning, Schultz shut down Radford for 2-2/3 innings, striking out four batters without allowing another run. He was relieved by Caldwell with two outs and two runners on in the fifth inning and Caldwell got the third out on a fly ball to centerfield.

Radford tied the game in the sixth, scoring three runs, credited to Caldwell. Caldwell loaded the bases before Dades came out to relieve him. Brett Mollenhauer hit a double to clear the bases and tie the game but Dades got out of the inning with a strikeout of Ty Rivers to keep Radford from taking the lead.

In the bottom of the sixth and the game tied 12-12, Antolik took the 1-0 pitch from Derrick Brewer over the left field wall for his fourth home run of the season. Brewer was tagged with the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season.

“We really needed this win tonight and whatever I can do to help is great,” Antolik said. “We all work hard everyday and this was a complete team win. He threw me a pitch inside and I was able to turn on it.”

Antolik's homer gave Dades his first career win, in just his fifth appearance of the year after missing the first half of the season with an injury.

“It was good to get my first win,” Dades said. “Steve came up with the big hit and Starnes, Andrews and Rodenberg came out and closed the game. It has been a long road to this point in the season and I am happy to finally be back out on the mound.”

Dades, Starnes and Andrews kept Radford scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, allowing Rodenberg to pick up his sixth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning. With two outs Raphael Turner went down swinging to end the game.

“I really give the credit to Steve for getting the lead back for us,” Rodenberg said. “I am happy to come out and get the save. I haven't had an opportunity in a while.”

The win snaps HPU's seven-game losing streak. The Panthers improve to 18-19 (5-9 Big South Conference) while Radford falls to 16-17 (5-6 Big South Conference). The teams will play the final game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m. at Williard Stadium.