March 23, 2007
BOX SCORE
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took a 4-0 baseball shutout victory past visiting Princeton University Friday night at Lancer Stadium in Farmville. It was the first-ever night game played at the facility after installation of lights this month by ICON Sign & Lighting of Farmville. The Lancers improved to 19-7 overall this season, including 17-4 at home, as senior right-handed pitcher Brian McCullough/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) tossed a complete-game, five-hit shutout in front of a record-crowd estimated at 750. Longwood and Princeton (3-9) will play again on Saturday, March 24, another night game at Lancer Stadium scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Farmville.
Longwood scored what would prove to be the only run it needed in the first inning as sophomore Robbie Bailey/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (2-4, RBI) reached on a one-out bunt single, advanced to third on a single by sophomore Jon Quigley/Annandale (W.T. Woodson) (1-4), and crossed the plate with two outs as Quigley stole second base and Bailey beat the throw home for the 1-0 advantage. The Lancers added another run in the fifth inning when freshman Topher Ellis/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) (2-3) led-off with a double down the right-field line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from senior captain Tyler Ames/Exmore (Northampton) (1-3), and scored on a one-out single to left field by Bailey.
Longwood plated two more runs in the sixth inning, though aided by two fielding errors. Senior Tyler Childress/Montclair (Forest Park) (1-3) walked to open the frame, advanced to second on another walk to sophomore Paul Heidler II/Warrenton (Notre Dame Academy) (0-2) -- each runner moving up another base when freshman Frank Berry II/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) (2-3) reached base on a sacrifice bunt that was mishandled by the catcher. Childress scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania) (0-2, RBI) -- a ball dropped by the left fielder. Heidler crossed the plate when Ellis grounded into a double play.
McCullough (3-1), on the preseason Wallace Watch List, took care of the rest while going the 9.0-inning distance on the mound, yielding just five hits with five strikeouts and one walk. He did not allow an extra base hit, and also did not allow a runner beyond second base. McCullough, who received several excellent plays behind him in the field, now sports an impressive 1.60 ERA through 50.2 innings with 42 strikeouts (7.46) this season.
Princeton was led at the plate by David Hale (2-3) with two hits, while Christian Staehely (0-3) took the pitching loss for the Tigers, allowing eight hits and two runs, both earned, with three strikeouts and one walk over the first 5.0 innings.
It was the first-ever meeting between Longwood and Princeton in baseball, the first game of a three-game weekend series against a program that won the Ivy League last year while advancing to the NCAA Regional Tournament. The Lancers have also won 12 of their last 14 games this spring.
