RADFORD, Va. --- Junior Eric Toth used an RBI double in the 11th inning along with pitching the final three innings of the contest to lead the Presbyterian College baseball team to a 7-6 victory over Radford on Friday night at Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium. Toth and Chris Veach led the Blue Hose offense with three hits apiece in the win.
FINAL SCORE: Presbyterian 7, Radford 6 (11 Innings)
LOCATION: Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium (Radford, Va.)
RECORDS: Presbyterian (2-6, 1-1 Big South) at Radford (8-8, 3-4 Big South)
W: Eric Toth (1-0) | L: Vinnie Venturi (1-2)
NOTABLES
- The Blue Hose were led by Toth and Veach each with three hits, while Kyle Merkle added a pair of hits to the 11 total hits for PC. Merkle, Toth, and Sean Klein each picked up doubles in the contest.
- Klein, Ryan Ouzts, and David Sweat added to the hit column.
- Freshman Noah Lebron made his collegiate debut on Friday as he got the start as the PC designated hitter and was able to pick up his first RBI of his young career in the fifth inning.
- Toth has reached base safely now in all eight games on the season for the Blue Hose.
- Veach has a hit in all seven of his games throughout the young season.
- The trio of Kyle Benson, Veach, and Toth went the final 6.2 innings scattering six hits, allowing just one run, and striking out six to give the Blue Hose the chance to finish it in the 11th inning.
- This is PC's second extra-inning game of the season as the Blue Hose fell 2-1 in 10 innings against Auburn on February 21. It's the Blue Hose's first extra-inning victory since February 23, 2020, when Presbyterian downed Manhattan 7-6 in 10 innings.
- With the win, head coach Elton Pollock passed Doug Kovash (1994-2004) for the modern-era record in wins as he earned his 321st victory on Friday night as the head man at PC. The modern era dates back to 1988 for the Blue Hose.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Radford got on the board first with a sacrifice fly in the first to take the early 1-0 lead.
- PC responded in the second with a pair of runs off of a Highlander wild pitch and followed up with a David Sweat sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead after 1.5 innings.
- The hosts used a sacrifice fly and RBI single in the fourth to regain the lead at 3-2.
- PC answered in the fifth with Noah Lebron driving in a run via an RBI groundout and was quickly followed up by a Highlander error allowing Fahr to score and give PC the 4-3 lead.
- In their half of the fifth, Radford added an RBI groundout and RBI single to retake the lead at 5-4 after five frames.
- In the sixth, David Sweat knotted the game up once again with an RBI single to make it a 5-5 game thru 5.5 innings.
- The two teams remained even throughout the next four innings setting up for the 11th inning when Toth connected on a double down the right-field line to give PC the 6-5 advantage.
- Presbyterian wasn't done yet as it took advantage of a Highlander error to bring home Toth and give the Blue Hose the 7-5 lead.
- The hosts wouldn't go away quietly in the 11th, following a two-out double the Highlanders cut the lead to one, 7-6 with an RBI single before Toth would get the fly out to end it and give Presbyterian the victory.
UP NEXT
- The Blue Hose returns to the diamond on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the final game of the abbreviated two-game series with Radford. Tomorrow's game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
