April 4, 2007
BOX SCORE
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took an exciting 3-2 baseball victory past visiting Norfolk State University Wednesday at Lancer Stadium in Farmville, scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. Sophomore Jon Quigley/Annandale (W.T. Woodson) (2-4, RBI) delivered the clutch hit for the Lancers with his RBI single to center field that scored senior captain Tyler Ames/Exmore (Northampton) (1-4) who had reached base when hit-by-a-pitch with two outs. Longwood improved to 24-11 overall this season, including a 21-7 record at home, and will play again on Friday, April 6, hosting New Jersey Tech at Lancer Stadium for a doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m..
Longwood senior right-handed pitcher Brian McCullough/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) (4-1), on the preseason Wallace Watch List, enjoyed another outstanding performance on the mound with the complete-game victory, yielding just six hits and two runs, one earned, with nine strikeouts and two walks. He also became the school’s all-time leader in innings pitched with 291.2 innings, surpassing David Mitchell (285.1, 1979-82). McCullough ranks second in career strikeouts (240), and third in career ERA (3.46) and fewest walks per game (2.44) as well. He now sports an impressive 1.60 ERA through 67.2 innings with 55 strikeouts (7.31) this season.
Longwood spotted Norfolk State (15-13) an early 1-0 lead when Juan Serrano (1-4, RBI) led-off the second inning with a solo home run to left field. The Lancers scored two runs in the sixth inning for a one-run advantage as Quigley doubled to left-center field, advanced to third on a wild pitch and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from freshman Frank Berry II/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) (1-3, RBI). The hosts went ahead with two outs in the inning when senior Tyler Childress/Montclair (Forest Park) (0-3) scored on another wild pitch after walking earlier in the frame.
Norfolk State tied the contest at 2-2 in the top of the ninth inning as Ernie Banks (2-4) singled to lead-off before replaced by pinch-runner Chris Williams. Williams moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a fielding error before scoring unearned on a sacrifice fly by John Boyd (1-2, RBI).
Fortunately for Longwood, Ames kept the final at-bat alive when hit-by-the-pitch in the ninth and he promptly stole second base. After a walk to sophomore Paul Heidler II/Warrenton (Notre Dame Academy) (0-2), Quigley provided the late heroics with the run-producing single to center that plated Ames for the home triumph. Sophomore Robbie Bailey/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (2-5) also had two hits in the game to extend his hitting streak to 10 games -- he had a 14-game hitting streak earlier this season as well.
Norfolk State’s Jason Barker (0-2) took the mound loss in late relief (0.2), allowing the decisive run after hitting Ames with two outs in the ninth. Joey Seal had started for the Spartans and pitched well, scattering five hits and two runs, both earned, with seven strikeouts and four walks over the first 6.1 innings.
