Tribe Rallies for 5-4 Ninth-Inning Win Over Radford

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Senior second baseman Will Rhymes drove in the game-winning run with a one-out, RBI-single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth, and junior lefthander Sean Sosonko worked five scoreless innings of relief to lead William and Mary past Radford, 5-4, Sunday afternoon in collegiate baseball action at Plumeri Park.(Box Score)

With the victory, the Tribe completes a three-game sweep of the series and improves to 6-4 overall, while the Highlanders drop to 1-8.

Trailing 4-2 after four innings, Sosonko came on in relief of starter Joe Kantakevich to start the fifth and kept the Highlanders off the board the rest of the way, setting the stage for a Tribe comeback. Sosonko scattered three hits over the final five frames, walked two and struck out one to earn his first victory of the season. Kantakevich allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits over four innings in a no decision.

The Highlanders jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first behind RBI singles from seniors Mark Fleisher, who started the game on the hill for Radford, and Kellen Wohlford. Hoping to salvage the series finale, Radford extended its lead to 3-0 in the second on a run-scoring double to the left-center gap by senior Alan Ashworth.

W&M responded with two runs in its half of the second to cut the deficit to one, as senior designated hitter Mike DeCarlo led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a well-placed, two-out double by junior Jeff Lunardi that fell between the hard-charging Radford centerfielder and second baseman. Senior catcher Jon Rhymes brought Lunardi in with another clutch two-out double, this time down the left field line to make it 3-2.

Radford added its final tally off Kantakevich in the top of the fourth, as freshman Ben Toth walked with one out, stole second, then advanced to third on a balk, before scoring on an RBI groundout by freshman Nachion Moore. With a 4-2 lead, the Highlanders appeared to be in control behind a strong pitching performance from Fleisher, who allowed three runs on five hits over six innings, while striking out eight.

The Tribe’s third run came in the bottom of the sixth, when junior Chris Rahl led off the inning with a solo home run to left field. It was Rahl’s second round tripper of the season and cut the Radford lead to 4-3. W&M threatened again in the sixth, as sophomore Greg Sexton walked, and Lunardi singled to center to give the Tribe runners at first and second with two out, but Fleisher left with the lead after Jon Rhymes grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Radford’s bullpen couldn’t hold the lead however, as DeCarlo drove in the equalizer in the bottom of the seventh with another crucial two-out RBI off of sophomore Casey Hodges. Senior centerfielder Terry Revere walked with one out, and after a strikeout, advanced to third on an infield single by Rahl, before scoring on DeCarlo’s liner up the middle. It was the seventh two-out RBI of the season for DeCarlo, who is now hitting .667 (8-for-12) on the year with two out and runners in scoring position.

In the ninth, Hodges struck out Revere to start the frame, but yielded an infield single to senior Kyle Padgett and hit Rahl before being lifted in favor of senior Bret Lieberman. With DeCarlo at the plate again, Padgett and Rahl executed a per-fect double steal on Lieberman’s first pitch to give W&M runners at second and third, while prompted an intentional walk to DeCarlo. Against a drawn-in infield and outfield, Will Rhymes, who was 0-for-3 on the day up to that point, stepped in and drilled the game-winning RBI single up the middle to end it. Hodges, responsible for Padgett on third, was tagged with the loss.

Sosonko’s effort was aided by outstanding team defense, as the Tribe turned four double plays on the afternoon, including a 1-6-3 twin killing Sosonko started himself in the eighth, after Jess Ross led off the inning with a single.

DeCarlo wound up 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI, while Rahl, Lunardi and Jon Rhymes each had two hits as well.

Fleisher went 2-for-3 at the plate with a RBI and one run scored, while Jess Ross went 2-for-4 and Ben Toth scored a pair of runs for the Highlanders.