BOX SCORE BOX SCORE

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Jeff Kemp (Bowie, Md., Archbishop Spalding) went 3-for-5 with three doubles, Zach Costello (South Riding, Va., Paul VI) reached four times and scored four runs, and Radford put up two-run innings in the sixth and eighth to beat Samford 7-4 on Saturday.
 
Right-handed reliever Jake Palese (Warrenton, Va., Fauquier) got the Highlanders (1-1) out of a three-run fifth, then worked two more scoreless innings to earn the first win of the season.  After Jason Patten (Davidsonville, Md., Archbishop Spalding) had a three-up, three-down bottom of the eighth, Abram Williams (Radford, Va., Radford) did the same in the ninth to earn his first save.

"We did a good job of scoring guys today when they were in position, definitely a better job than last night," head coach Joe Raccuia said.  "[Tyler] Costello gave us a pretty decent start, Palese came in and did a great job coming out of the 'pen, Patten did too and Abe was Abe. 

"That's a pretty good recipe for winning baseball games."
 
Kemp had leadoff doubles in the second and fifth innings, and a two-run hit for insurance in the eighth.  Costello reached in each of his first four trips to the plate, scored twice and stole two bases.   Samford committed six errors, leading to four unearned runs for the Highlanders.
 
Saxon Butler, who was retired for the first time in the series in the seventh on a Palese strikeout, went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer to right field that highlighted a three-run fifth for Samford (1-1).  Brad Moss was 3-for-4 and scored twice.
 
Trailing 4-3 in the sixth, the Highlanders got the lead back thanks in part to defensive miscues by the Bulldogs.    Brett Mollenhauer (Roanoke, Va., Hidden Valley) started the inning with a double to left, followed by a walk to Costello.   After an error at second put Carl Travers (Huntingtown, Md., Riverdale Baptist) on to load the bases, an error at first off the bat of Matt Hillsinger (Bowie, Md., Archbishop Spalding) allowed Mollenhauer and Costello to score and make it a 5-4 Radford lead.
 
Gil Walker, who allowed a run in the fifth and both sixth inning runs for the Highlanders (one earned run), took the loss (0-1).
 
Radford added two more in the eighth when Costello led off with a single, moved to second on Travers' sacrifice and was knocked in along with Josh Gardiner (Culpeper, Va., Eastern View) on Kemp's third double of the day, extending the lead to 7-4.
 
The Highlanders struck first in the game and put up single-run innings in the second, fourth and fifth.  In the second, Costello reached on an error at second, stole second, and came home on Travers' RBI single.  In the fourth, Costello reached on an error at third, then scored from second when Travers hit a ball off of third baseman Tyler Filliben to put the Highlanders ahead 2-1. 
 
Radford made it 3-1 in the fifth when Kemp again doubled to lead off and was knocked in by Matt Mack (Davidsonville, Md., St. John's College H.S.) on a sacrifice fly.
 
Like the opener, neither starter was involved in the decision.  Radford righty Tyler Costello (South Riding, Va., Paul VI), making his collegiate debut, allowed all four Samford runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.  Samford right-hander Charles Basford struck out five and didn't allow an earned run in four innings.

"Anytime you can play 18 innings without any errors or any walks, it puts you in a good position to win," Raccuia said.
 
The rubber game of the series is set for 2 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday.
 
NOTE: Williams earned his 20th career save, improving on the school record that he set a season ago … Williams is now tied for fourth on the Big South's career saves list.