February 23, 2008
BOX SCORE GAME ONE
BOX SCORE GAME TWO
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University split a baseball doubleheader against visiting Le Moyne College Saturday at Lancer Stadium in Farmville, winning the second game 3-2 after dropping the first game 6-5. The Lancers (2-1) were led to victory in the nightcap by freshman left-handed pitcher Garrett Lythgoe/Chesterfield (Motoaca) (1-0) with a complete-game effort on the mound in his collegiate debut, and junior Paul Heidler II/Warrenton (Notre Dame Academy) (1-3, RBI) drove in the game-winning run with a two-out RBI double in the sixth inning. Longwood and Le Moyne (1-2) will now conclude their four-game series on Sunday, February 24, at Lancer Stadium in Farmville beginning at 1 p.m..
In the nightcap, Longwood spotted Le Moyne two unearned runs in the third inning before scoring single runs in each of the third, fifth, and sixth innings for the come-from-behind triumph. In the third, junior Robbie Bailey/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (3-3, RBI) singled to lead-off, stole second, moved to third on an error, and scored on a ground-ball double-play by the Dolphins. In the fifth, freshman Brant Jones/Richmond (Monacan) (1-1) singled to open the frame, advanced via a balk to second, moved on to third on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Topher Ellis/Virginia Beach (First Colonial) (0-1), and scored on an RBI single by Bailey. The Lancers scored the decisive run in the sixth as senior Nick von Gersdorff/ Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (1-3) reached on a one-out single and later crossed the plate on the two-out double down the right field line by Heidler.
Lythgoe (1-0) went the complete-game distance of 7.0 innings, scattering seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Le Moyne was led by Corey O’Neill (2-3, RBI) with two hits, including an infield RBI single, and Phil St Amant (1-3, RBI) with an RBI double. Jeff Tardiff (0-1) took the hard-luck pitching loss with the complete-game 6.0 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts.
In the opener, Longwood led 5-1 through seven innings before Le Moyne rallied late with two runs in the eighth and three more runs in the ninth inning to earn the road win. The Dolphins scored a run in the first inning before the Lancers scored one run in the third, three in the fifth, and another run in the sixth inning prior to the late comeback by the visitors. In the third, freshman Marcus Powell/Manassas (Osbourn) (2-3) doubled to lead-off and scored on an RBI double from Ellis (2-4, RBI). In the fifth, sophomore Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania) (2-4, 2 RBI) had a two-run double to score Powell and Ellis who had each singled, and Bailey (2-5, RBI) later crossed the plate after he singled and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Heidler (1-3, RBI). The hosts made it 5-1 in the sixth when Powell reached on an error and later scored on an RBI single from Bailey.
Le Moyne received some late clutch hitting toward its rally, getting a two-out, two-run single by Mike Brown (1-3, 2 RBI) in the eighth before Chris Haynes (1-3, 2 RBI) added a one-out, two-run double in the ninth to tie it at 5-5. Stephen Crawford (2-5, RBI) produced the game-winning hit for the Dolphins with his two-out RBI single scoring Haynes. Luke Nellis (1-0) earned the pitching win with the final 5.0 innings, allowing four hits and one unearned run with seven strikeouts. Senior Rob Moody/Midlothian (Midlothian) (0-1) took the mound loss with two-thirds of an inning, yielding four hits and three earned runs. Freshman Chris Briere/Midlothian (James River) made his collegiate debut, going the first 5.0 innings while scattering four hits and one unearned run with three strikeouts, and redshirt-junior Isaac Weiderman/Chillicothe, Ohio (Huntington) pitched 2.0 perfect shutout innings with two strikeouts.
