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RADFORD, Va. -- A five-run seventh inning propelled the Ohio baseball team (1-2) to its first win of the 2021 season as the Bobcats defeated host Radford (2-1) in come-from-behind fashion, 7-5, on Sunday (February 21) afternoon at Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium.

The Bobcats bounced back for a victory in the weekend series finale after falling to the Highlanders by scores of 7-3 on Friday (February 19) and Saturday (February 20). Ohio earned its first win under the direction of interim head coach Craig Moore.

Ohio faced a 5-1 deficit going into the top of the seventh but stormed back in the frame to take command of the contest. The rally began with back-to-back singles from graduate student third baseman Harry Witwer-Dukes (Monmouth, Ore.) and redshirt junior left fielder Trevor Lukkes (Tustin, Calif.). Senior center fielder Isaiah Peterson (Lincoln, Neb.) walked to load the bases for the Bobcats one out later. After a pitching change by Radford, redshirt senior shortstop Joe Weisenseel (Strongsville, Ohio) lined a single to center field and advanced to second, allowing both Witwer-Dukes and Lukkes to score. With a 3-2 count and one out, senior designated hitter Tanner Piechnick (Canonsburg, Pa.) smacked a two-run RBI double to tie the game. Piechnick then advanced to third on a fly out to right field and an RBI single by redshirt junior right fielder Spencer Harbert gave Ohio a 6-5 lead. 

Ohio kept up the pressure by tacking on an insurance run in the eighth. Witwer-Dukes got the inning going with a leadoff triple to center and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by redshirt sophomore second baseman Xavier Haendiges (Salem, Ind.).

Senior right-handed pitcher Edward Kutt IV (Westlake, Calif.) locked down the victory for Oho by tossing five innings of relief. After giving up two earned runs on two hits in the fifth, Kutt IV was perfect over his final four innings of work. He finished the contest with five strikeouts.

The Bobcats outhit Radford (11-5) for the second game in a row. Witwer-Dukes went 2-for-4 at the plate with a triple and two runs scored. He was one of four Bobcats to record a multi-hit afternoon, as Harbert went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk, Peterson finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored and Lukkes posted a 2-for-3 effort with a walk and a run scored.

Radford owned a 3-0 advantage after four frames after plating two in the first and another in the fourth. Senior right fielder Anthony Galati delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to open the scoring in the first, and senior left fielder Sean Cheely added an RBI single in the fourth.

Ohio got on the board in fifth as Haendiges sent a one-out double down the left field and scored one out later on a throwing error by the Highlanders. Radford pushed its lead to five in home half of the inning, though, thanks to a one-out RBI triple by redshirt junior shortstop Dac Archer and two-out RBI base hit by redshirt junior first baseman Connor Bagnieski. That was all for the Highlanders, though, as Kutt IV locked it down the rest of the way and Ohio's bats roared to life late for the comeback win for the 'Cats.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Boyd took the loss for Radford, allowing four hits and three earned runs in just 0.2 frames of relief.

Ohio returns to action on Friday (February 26) when it opens the home portion of its schedule with a doubleheader against Morehead State. First pitch for game one of the twin bill is set for 2 p.m. ET at Bob Wren Stadium.

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