April 12, 2006

BOX SCORE

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University put a scare into 17th-ranked Virginia Wednesday night before dropping a 6-4 collegiate baseball decision to the nationally-ranked Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference in Charlottesville.  The Lancers (18-19) led 4-3 into the bottom of the eighth inning before Virginia (28-9) scored three runs to secure the hard-fought home victory.  Longwood will be idle for Easter Weekend before returning to action next Tuesday, April 18, at Liberty University of the Big South Conference in Lynchburg beginning at 3 p.m..
    
At #17 Virginia, Longwood got on the scoreboard first with a run in the third inning to lead 1-0 as junior captain Tyler Ames/Exmore (Northampton) (1-5) reached base on a one-out single and scored on a two-out double from redshirt sophomore captain Zach Zigrang/Virginia Beach (Kempsville) (1-4, RBI).  The Lancers led 2-0 in the fourth inning when freshman Jon Quigley/Annandale (W.T. Woodson) (0-2) was hit by a pitch and later crossed the plate on a ground-ball out by freshman pinch-hitter Brandon Maupin/Woodbridge (Potomac) (1-2, RBI).
    
The nationally-ranked Cavaliers battled back with two unearned runs in their half of the fourth after a two-out fielding error was followed by two base hits and a throwing error that scored Tom Hagan (1-4) and Patrick Wingfield (2-3).  The Lancers, however, came right back with a run in the seventh inning when Maupin led-off with a double that allowed sophomore pinch-runner Joe Bott/Elyria, Ohio (Elyria Catholic) (1-1) to score on a two-out RBI single from classmate Nick von Gersdorff/Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (2-5, RBI).  UVA tied it at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh as Tim Henry (2-3) doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Sean Doolittle (0-2, RBI).  The hosts were denied another run in the inning when freshman right fielder Paul Heidler/Warrenton (Notre Dame Academy) threw-out Brandon Marsh (2-5, RBI) at the plate later in the inning.
    
Longwood once-again took the advantage at 4-3 in the eighth inning as junior Tyler Childress/Montclair (Forest Park) (1-4) opened with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Quigley, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Heidler (2-2, RBI).  Virginia, though, finally secured the win with three runs in the bottom of the eighth behind three singles, a walk, a fielder’s choice, and a passed ball that allowed the final run of the frame.  The game-winning RBI involved the fielder’s choice, by Marsh, that plated pinch-runner Mike Mitchell.
    
Junior captain Brian McCullough/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) pitched the first 6.2 innings for Longwood, scattering 10 hits and one earned run with six strikeouts.  Freshman John Walker II/Alexandria (West Potomac) (1-2) took the mound loss, allowing three hits and two earned runs over two-thirds of an inning.
    
Michael Schwimer (2-1) got the mound win for Virginia with 2.0 innings of late relief, yielding three hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.  Casey Lambert (5) earned the save for the Cavaliers with the final 1.0 inning, though allowing one hit.  Pat McAnaney pitched the first 6.0 innings for UVA, scattering five hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts.