FARMVILLE, Va. – Five runs in the eighth inning expanded Longwood's lead, and the Lancers held on for a 9-6 win over Radford in non-conference action on Tuesday night.

Longwood (23-18) needed the insurance, as Reggie Keen hit a two-out three-run homer for the Highlanders (26-21), his sixth of the season, to make it a three-run game.  But the big inning was too much for Radford, which had a three-game win streak stopped.

Keen had five RBIs, adding two more on a groundout in the fifth and a fielder's choice in seventh inning.

Longwood had 17 hits in the game, including five in the eighth inning.  After Casey Havers' sacrifice fly gave the Lancers a 5-3 cushion, David Smiy Jr. opened the game up with a bases-loaded, two-run single to expand the lead to four.  The next hitter, Dustin Sollars, hit a two-run double to clear the bases and give the Lancers a 9-3 lead.

“We just didn't make enough plays in that inning,” head coach Joe Raccuia said.  “After a strikeout to start the inning, we couldn't get the out at first.  Then we couldn't make a play on a sacrifice.  We gave away a couple of outs.”

All nine Lancer starters had hits, led by a 4-for-5 evening from Brant Jones.  Justin Lacy went 3-for-5.   Jones, Smiy and Sollars drove in two runs each.

“Longwood really swung the bats well and didn't let us up for air,” Raccuia said.

Andrew Cook went 3-for-4, including a second-inning single that gave the Highlanders a short-lived 1-0 lead.  Matt Hillsinger was 3-for-5, part of an 11-hit effort for Radford.

After Cook's RBI single in the second, the Lancers grabbed a 3-1 lead using four straight two-out hits, highlighted by Jones' two-run single.

Radford had an opportunity in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and nobody out, but the Highlanders only managed to get the one run, as Longwood starter Lance Harting stranded a pair of runners in scoring position.

“That was a big position for us,” Raccuia said.  “There was a crucial strikeout in that mix of plays, and we just couldn't get the base hit when we were looking for it.

“Not a poorly played game – just a couple of mistakes on our part.”

Harting picked up the win (8-0), striking out seven while allowing two earned runs on seven hits over seven innings.  Mark Montgomery worked the final two innings to pick up his fifth save.

Derrick Brewer had the loss in his first collegiate start, (0-3) part of a five-pitcher effort by the Highlanders.

Radford resumes Big South play this weekend, with a three-game series at Gardner-Webb beginning on Friday.