April 25, 2007
BOX SCORE GAME ONE
BOX SCORE GAME TWO
NORFOLK, Va. -- Longwood University swept a baseball doubleheader at Norfolk State Wednesday, winning the first game 7-4 and the second game 9-7. The Lancers improved to 33-13 overall, while the Spartans dropped to 19-19. Longwood will play again on Thursday, April 26, hosting High Point University of the Big South Conference in its final Night Game at Lancer Stadium this season. The Lancers, 25-7 at home this year, and Panthers will start under the new lights beginning at 7 p.m. on SENIOR NIGHT with a special pre-game recognition of the eight Longwood seniors.
The first game at NSU was tied at 4-4 after four innings before Longwood scored three runs in the fifth inning to secure the three-run victory. In the fifth, freshman Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) (1-1, RBI) delivered the decisive hit with an RBI double that scored senior captain Tyler Ames/Exmore (Northampton) (2-4) who had opened the frame with a single. Three batters later, sophomore Paul Heidler II/Warrenton (Notre Dame Academy) (2-3, 2 RBI) provided a two-run single that plated Havers and freshman Phi Cerreto/Midlothian (Midlothian) (1-4) who had reached on a bunt single.
Longwood scored a run in the second inning when freshman Frank Berry II/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) (1-3) tripled and later crossed the plate during a run-down play between first and second base involving Heidler. In the third, the Lancers added a run as freshman Topher Ellis/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) (2-4, 3 RBI) singled to score classmate Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania) (2-3) who had doubled to open the inning. LU added scored two runs in the fourth when Ellis doubled to plate both Heidler and Kimble who had singled and doubled, respectively.
Senior left-handed pitcher Needham Jones III/Portsmouth (Woodrow Wilson) (5-2) earned the pitching win with 3.1 innings of scoreless middle relief, allowing three hits with one strikeout. Freshman right-handed pitcher Lance Harting/Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) recorded the final out of the contest on a strikeout for his second save.
In the nightcap, Longwood rallied from an early 4-2 deficit in the second inning with three runs in the third, two runs in the fourth, and single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the third, sophomore Robbie Bailey/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (2-4, 4 RBI) hit the first of his two, two-run home runs in the contest -- down the left-field line -- followed later in the inning by an RBI single by Berry (1-4, RBI). Bailey added his second two-run homer in the fourth inning on an opposite field shot to right. The Lancers added a run in the first when Ames (2-3) crossed the plate unearned on another run-down play between first and second involving Cerreto (1-4) -- Ames had singled while Cerreto had reached on a fielder’s choice. In the second, Heidler (1-3, RBI) hit a solo home run to right field, while in the fifth, Havers (1-4, RBI) hit his first collegiate home run, another solo blast, to right field as well. LU also scored in the sixth when Ellis (2-2, RBI) contributed a sacrifice fly that plated Kimble (1-2) who had tripled.
Harting (2-0) picked-up the win in game two with the final 3.2 innings, yielding three hits and two unearned runs with five strikeouts. Junior right-handed pitcher Rob Moody/Midlothian (Midlothian) tossed 1.0 inning of middle relief, allowing two hits and one run, earned, with one strikeout.
