March 18, 2006

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University dropped an 8-6 collegiate baseball decision the University of Dayton of the Atlantic 10 Conference Saturday afternoon at Lancer Stadium in Farmville. The Lancers saw their record evened at 13-13 as the Flyers scored two unearned runs in the ninth inning while improving to 8-8 overall. Longwood and Dayton will play again on Sunday, March 19, at Lancer Stadium beginning at 1 p.m. in the three-game weekend series finale.

Dayton struck first with a run in the second inning before Longwood tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the second inning as well. The Flyers added two runs in the third inning to lead 3-1 before the Lancers scored a run in the fourth to climb within 3-2 through four innings. UD scored another run in the fifth inning to lead 4-2, and scored two more runs in the seventh inning to lead 6-2. LU, however, fought back with three runs in the seventh, and another run in the eighth inning to even the game at 6-6 through eight innings. Dayton’s two decisive runs scored with two outs in the ninth inning on a throwing error following a lead-off walk and a one-out single after a sacrifice bunt.

In the second, sophomore Nick von Gersdorff/Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (2-4) tripled to right center field and scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by freshman David Loel/Frankfort, Ohio (Frankfort Adena) (1-2, RBI). In the fourth, junior Tyler Childress/Montclair (Forest Park) (3-5, 3 RBI) hit a lead-off home run to left field for the Lancers.

In the seventh, redshirt sophomore captain Zach Zigrang/Virginia Beach (Kempsville) (2-5, RBI) drove home freshman Paul Heidler/Warrenton (Notre Dame Academy) (1-3) with a two-out single to right center field after Heidler had walked and stole second base. Childress followed with his second homer on the day, and team-best third of the season, over the 375-foot sign in left field, a two-run blast. In the eighth, freshman Jon Quigley/Annandale (W.T. Woodson) (1-4, RBI) hit his first collegiate home run over the left field fence as well.

Junior Alan Moore/Richmond (Monacan) (4-3) took the pitching loss with 2.0 innings of late relief, allowing three hits and the two unearned runs with one strikeout. Freshman Kevin Light/Mechanicsville (Hanover) had went the first 6.1 innings on the mound, yielding four hits and five earned runs with six strikeouts.

Dayton was led offensively by Joe McSoley (1-4, 2 RBI) and Bobby Getty (0-2, 2 RBI) with two RBI each, while Michael Massa (2-5, RBI) collected two hits, including an RBI triple. Galen Schumm (1-3, RBI) added an RBI double for the Flyers. Craig Rohren (1-1) got the pitching win with the final 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, allowing no hits with two strikeouts.