BOX SCORE

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Redshirt sophomore Jeff Kemp went 3-for-5 at the plate with two doubles and a home run to lead Radford past Army, 7-4, in the baseball season opener for both teams on Friday afternoon.

The win was the first opening day victory for the Highlanders since 2000.

“We did everything I wanted to see today,” head coach Joe Raccuia said. “We saw good pitching, defense, our shortstop [Kemp], our number one pitcher [Eddie Butler] and our stoppers out of the bullpen.

“We had timely hits, got contributions from everyone. This year, we need depth, and we saw it today.”

Six out of the seven Radford runs were scored with two outs. Brad Wimmer picked up the win (1-0) for the Highlanders, throwing 1 1/3 innings in relief of starter Eddie Butler, while Abram Williams recorded the two-inning save.

“Everybody who threw today threw lights out,” Raccuia said. “We just beat a really good baseball team today.”

At one point, Butler retired 11 consecutive batters, including five straight strikeouts, and held Army hitless through five and 1/3 innings.

After a three-run homer by the Black Knights' Clint Moore in the seventh, Radford grabbed the lead back, 5-4, in the top of the eighth on a Ryan Burgess pinch-hit, two-out double that dropped just inside the right field line. Matt Hillsinger scored from second to plate the winning run.

In the ninth inning, Radford added two more runs on a Kemp RBI double off the top of the left center wall and Matt Mack's sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, securing the win.

Cory Turner notched his second hit of the game in the fourth inning when he singled to center field, scoring Hillsinger from second, giving the Highlanders a three-run cushion.

With two outs in the top of the first, the Highlanders reeled off three runs by way of three consecutive hits. Kemp blasted a solo home run to left field on a 1-2 count to put Radford ahead early, 1-0.

A double by Jake Taylor off the right center wall scored Mack all the way from first, who also singled to right field. Taylor would cross the plate on the next at-bat on an Alex Guerra left field single to give Radford the early 3-0 advantage.

Radford will meet the Black Knights again tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.