April 26, 2005
PETERSBURG, Va. -- Longwood University split a baseball doubleheader against VCU Tuesday in Petersburg, shocking the Rams 10-3 in the opener before falling 5-0 in the nightcap. It was the Lancers’ first win over VCU in 20 years (1985), and only the second-ever win past the Rams. Longwood is now 15-25 this season, while VCU is 23-12 overall, remaining in second-place in the CAA (8-4). Longwood will not play again until May 10-11 when the Lancers travel north to play at the University of Maryland.
Against VCU, Longwood took control early in the opener with leads of 1-0 in the first inning, 4-0 in the second inning, 5-0 in the third inning, 8-2 in the fourth inning, and 10-2 in the ninth inning. The Rams managed two runs in the third, and added a third run in the ninth.
Senior Chris Balus/Newport News (Denbigh) (2-4, RBI) doubled to open the game, and scored as sophomore Tyler Ames/Exmore (Northampton) (2-4, 2 RBI) followed with an RBI single. Freshman Nick von Gersdorff/Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (2-4, 2 RBI) hit a two-run home run (2nd of season) in the second to score freshman Travis Lydon/Westlake, Ohio (St. Edward) (0-4), who had walked, and Balus hit a solo homer (fourth of season) for back-to-back knocks. Sophomore Charlie Yarbrough/Richmond (Mills Godwin) (1-5, 2 RBI) added a solo home run, his team-best ninth this season, in the third for the Lancers who quickly led 5-0.
Longwood added three runs in the fourth as Ames again singled to score Balus, and scored himself on a grounder from Yarbrough. Freshman Louis Ullrich/Centreville (Westfield) (2-4) crossed the plate on an error after reaching base on a single. Junior Corey Huemmer/Abingdon, Md. (Eastern Tech) (1-4, 2 RBI) hit the fourth home run (also his fourth of season) of the game for LU in the ninth to score sophomore Tyler Childress/Montclair (Forest Park) (1-5) who had reached on another error.
Sophomore Brian McCullough/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) (4-3) earned the pitching win with the first 7.1 innings on the mound, scattering seven hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts. McCullough now owns victories over both Indiana (4-1) and VCU this season.
VCU scored two runs in the third with the aid of a two-out double from Scott Sizemore (3-3, RBI), and got a solo homer in the ninth from Pete Farina (1-2, RBI). Danny Watkins (1-1) took the mound loss with the first 3.0 innings, allowing seven hits and six earned runs with two strikeouts.
In the nightcap, VCU’s John Leonard (3-1) tossed a complete-game shutout against Longwood, yielding just one hit over the 7.0 innings with 12 strikeouts. The Rams plated a run in the first inning, and added four runs in the second inning. Sergio Miranda (1-3, RBI) had an RBI single in the first, while Kwan Evans (3-3, RBI) had the key hit in the second with an RBI double as the hosts took advantage of two errors.
Ames (1-2) had the lone hit for Longwood, a single up the middle to lead-off the sixth inning. Freshman John Farrell/Nantucket, Mass. (Nantucket) (3-5) took the pitching loss with the first 5.0 innings, allowing nine hits and one earned run with two strikeouts.
Longwood is now 2-4 against VCU in the all-time series between the two intercollegiate programs.
