LEXINGTON, Va.- VMI jumped on top early and never looked back in claiming a 14-6 game one victory over Radford on Friday afternoon in Big South Conference play at Patchin Field. The Keydets posted eight runs in the first four innings before a six-spot in the seventh ensured Travis Smink's sixth victory of the season.

VMI (23-12, 4-6 Big South) had each of their top six hitters in the lineup drive in runs, while five Keydets had multiple hits in the contest. Radford (4-31, 1-12 Big South) was able to make the hosts pay for their mistakes, as four VMI errors led to four unearned runs.

"I thought we did a great job offensively today of getting the lead and putting up runs early in the game," said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. "And then when they put up a three-spot (in the seventh), we answered back with a big inning. Travis Smink threw well today, it was great to see him with his good stuff. J.J. Hollenbeck came in and did a great job. It's good to see him healthy and back in action. Overall, I thought it was an awesome effort from our guys today. Tomorrow will be a long day of baseball for us, but hopefully we'll come out ready to go."

Smink (6-1) picked up his sixth win of the season by allowing only four hits and two unearned runs in six innings. After Corey Bachman faced a pair of batters in the seventh, J.J. Hollenbeck came on to work the final three innings, picking up his first save of the year, surrendering only two runs (one earned) on three hits. Taking the loss for RU was starter Eric Evans (1-7), who gave up eight runs, four earned, on seven hits in six innings.

A full-count double by Klint Reed in the first inning capped an outstanding at-bat and gave VMI a 2-0 lead on a pair of unearned runs. The Highlanders responded in the second with a pair of unearned tallies of their own, with sacrifice flies coming from Ben Toth and Steven Ellis to knot the score at two. VMI answered in the same fashion in their half of the second, as sacrifice flies from Chad Rice and Kelly Sweppenhiser made the score 4-2 in favor of the hosts through two innings.

Jacoby Fields extended that lead with his second home run in as many games in the third inning, as his solo shot to left field made the advantage 5-2. A two-run bomb in the fourth from Robert Crumpler was followed by an RBI single from B.T. Good, as the Keydets led by an 8-2 margin through four complete frames.

Neither offense could scratch together runs in the following two innings, until RU rallied in the seventh. A leadoff single by Ellis and a walk issued by Landman were the only batters that Bachman faced, as he was relieved by Hollenbeck, who gave up an RBI single to Nate Toth, the first batter he faced. Two batters later, Landman and Toth crossed home with unearned runs when Jeff Cooper hit a chopper to the right-side that glanced off of Crumpler's mitt, making the score 8-5.

But VMI responded in their half of the seventh. The Keydets sent ten men to the plate in the inning, with six of those scoring to make the advantage 14-5 through seven innings. Picking up RBI in the rally were Rice and Reed, while Good's single to left field brought home a pair. With no outs in the top of the eighth, Radford loaded the bases, but only brought home one run off of Hollenbeck, as he induced a double play and a groundout to limit the damage.

The Keydets' 2-3-4 hitters combined to score nine of the team's 14 runs, with Sweppenhiser (1-for-4, 2 R), Crumpler (2-for-5, 3 R, HR) and Fields (1-for-2, HR, 3 BB, 4 R) doing the damage. Reed and Good each posted two hits and three RBI, while Shane Geisslinger went 3-for-4 out of the nine-hole for VMI. For RU, Nate & Ben Toth each collected a pair of knocks, as each of the Highlanders' eight hits went for only one base.

The Keydets and Highlanders will wrap up the series on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled for Noon. Saturday will also mark the VMI Spring Sports Day, as kids' activities, including bouncies, will be provided throughout the day. Also, WREL AM 1450 will broadcast live from Patchin Field beginning at 11:30 a.m., before Wade Branner will provide play-by-play of the first contest of the twinbill.