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Sophomore Sal Pezzino hit a pinch-hit, two-RBI single in the seventh inning to tie the game at 8-8 and Mike Mercurio and Nate Roberts both pushed runs across to lift the High Point University baseball team to a 10-8 win over Radford University Wednesday in the Big South Conference Tournament. Junior Corey Swickle earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief and Al Yevoli picked up his first career save, pitching the final 2-1/3 innings of the game.

The Panthers plated four runs in the seventh inning, two on Pezzino's bases loaded single down the left field line. Mike Mercurio had a sacrifice fly to push across another and Nate Roberts singled up the middle to give HPU a 10-8 lead.

“We hoped after the Charleston Southern series that this team had recaptured some of the magic from earlier in the year,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “Obviously after tonight we have. I'm very glad we were able to respond offensively and put up zeroes in the last three innings. Hats off to Corey Swickle and Al Yevoli, they pitched great out of the bullpen.”

Radford had taken the lead on a two-run homer by Raphael Turner in the sixth inning, knocking Kyle Starnes from the game. Swickle came in to end the inning with a strikeout of Matt Hillsinger. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh Swickle gave up a walk and a single to being Yevoli out of the bullpen. Brett Mollenhauer to end the seventh and pitched hitless eighth and ninth innings to earn his first career save.

“It is awesome to get my first career save,” Yevoli said. “It is especially nice since I struggled against them earlier this year. I am glad I could help put us in a great situation for rest of tournament and help with overall goal of winning the championship.”

Swickle improved to 5-2 with the win. High Point will face No. 2 Liberty Thursday in the Big South Tournament. The Flames advanced with a 7-2 win over Winthrop earlier on Wednesday.

High Point took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Roberts hit his 19th home run of the season to right center field. He took the 1-0 pitch from Radford starter Aerik Taylor to right center field, scoring Pablo Rosario who had led off the game with a single through the left side.

Murray White IV led off the second with a basehit and came around to score when Rosario reached on an error to make it a 3-0 game.

Radford finally broke through with a run in the bottom of the third off HPU starter Jamie Serber. Brett Mollenhauer worked a two-out walk from Serber and scored on Raphael Turner's single up the middle.

Matt Gantner and Steve Antolik both picked up RBIs in the fourth inning, to extend HPU's lead to 5-1 but Radford tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fourth and a three-run fifth inning. Matt Hillsinger came up with the bases loaded and picked up three RBI with a double to left field, to knot the score at 5-5. Serber got out of the inning on a fly ball to left field by Robert Lamas.

Serber lasted five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts to tie his career high.

The Panthers took the lead back in the top of the sixth, 6-2, with Rosario scoring his third run of the game. He led off the inning with a bunt single, Mercurio sacrificed him to second, a wild pitch moved him to third and he scored on a pass ball.

Turner's home run in the sixth put Radford ahead for the first and only time in the game 8-6.

Rosario, Antolik and Kyle Mahoney were all hit by pitches in the seventh inning, bringing HPU to 119 for the season, tying the Big South Conference record set by VMI in 2006. Antolik and Mahoney would both score in the inning.

Rosario went 4-5 with three runs scored in the game and Roberts was 2-4 with three RBI. Roberts also scored hit 85th run of the season, setting a new Big South Conference record.

HPU improves to 30-27 on the season while Radford falls to 29-25. The Panthers face Liberty Thursday at 7 p.m. and the Highlanders will face Coastal Carolina at 3 p.m. in the double elimination tournament.