Box Score

RADFORD, Va. – Radford rallied from behind to score 11 runs from the sixth inning on, and got eight innings of work from freshman left-handed starter Paul DeVito (Annapolis, Md./Archbishop Spalding) to earn a 12-5 win over Longwood on Tuesday afternoon at Radford University Baseball Field.

In a game marked by consistent rainfall from the fifth inning on, the Highlanders (15-14) rallied from down 4-1 by adding a pair of runs in the sixth, three more in the seventh, and six (including four unearned) in the eighth.

Backing the late-game offense was the work of DeVito, who blanked the Lancers (20-12) over his final three frames (5-1). The freshman allowed just two baserunners in the waning innings, and fired his third 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, before the Highlanders broke it open at the plate.

DeVito struck out eight, while allowing four runs on four hits.

A pair of freshmen led the way at the dish, as second baseman Brett Mollenhauer (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) drove home four runs and catcher Carl Travers (Huntingtown, Md./Riverdale Baptist) went 3-for-3.

Mollenhauer got the Highlanders on the board in the second with an RBI groundout, then cleared the bases with two away in the eighth, bringing home three on a triple to the left center field wall.

Of his three hits, Travers had an RBI single in the sixth that cut the Longwood lead in half, at 4-2.

Before the Radford rally and the rain, the Lancers smacked a pair of two-run homers to plate four. Trailing 1-0 in the third, center fielder Scott Kimble smashed a two-out pitch over the left center field scoreboard to give Longwood a 2-1 lead. In the fifth, shortstop Richie Palase hit a 3-2 offering with two away off the scoreboard to make it a 4-1 game.

Five different Lancers had hits, as Radford out-hit Longwood 8-5.

Radford began the rally in sixth to make it 4-3, then went ahead on senior third baseman Nick Minter's (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) RBI double down the left field line. Freshman left fielder Matt Hillsinger's (Bowie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) sacrifice fly brought home Minter and gave Radford a two-run lead.

Minter finished the day 1-for-4, with a pair of walks and four runs scored.

The Highlanders began to open it up when a leadoff walk in the eighth by center fielder Tyren Rivers (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond River) was followed up by a run-scoring triple from designated hitter Will Naylor (Clifton, Va./Paul VI), extending the lead to three. Radford added four more after an error at third extended the inning.

NOTES: The game started 10 minutes prior to 3 p.m., due to impending foul weather… Radford has won 3-of-4 mid-week home games this season… The Highlanders travel to Charlottesville to face No. 17 Virginia Wednesday in a 7 p.m. first pitch at Davenport Field… Radford will send senior right-hander Josh Hammonds (1-0, 5.84 ERA) to the hill against the Cavaliers… Hammonds worked the middle seven innings, tossing six shutout innings to hold down Virginia on March 31, a team that ranked in the top ten nationally in batting average and runs at the time… Midway through the game, Hammonds set down 12 of 13 straight Cavalier hitters. He finished the game fanning six hitters, and allowing three earned runs on six hits... Live audio is available for Wednesday night's game on RadfordAthletics.com.