May 7, 2009

BOX SCORE

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Longwood University dropped a hard-fought 5-4 baseball decision in 12 innings Thursday night at the University of North Carolina, ranked #1 in this week's USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll.  The top-ranked Tar Heels (37-11) of the Atlantic Coast Conference needed a dramatic walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning with one out by Dustin Ackley, his second homer of the closely-played game in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  The Lancers (25-18) will remain on the road to play again this Sunday, May 10, for a scheduled doubleheader at the College of William and Mary of the Colonial Athletic Association in Williamsburg beginning at 1 p.m..
   
Playing at UNC's Boshamer Stadium, Longwood took an early advantage against the nation's top-ranked team with three runs in the second inning.  Freshman Dustin Sollars/Midlothian (Cosby) (1-5) reached on a two-out single to left center field and moved to second when classmate Mike Stancik/Ashburn (Stone Bridge) (0-2) drew a walk.  Junior Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania) (1-6) followed with a ball hit to shortstop that was mis-played for an error, allowing Sollars to score unearned and Stancik to move to second.  Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch before sophomore Brant Jones/Richmond (Monacan) (2-6, 2 RBI) followed with a clutch, two-out, two-run single to right field scoring both Stancik and Kimble.
   
The Lancers, playing in just their second season with Division I certification, added another run in the third inning to lead 4-0 as junior Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) (3-5) led-off with double to right field ahead of an infield single to shortstop by senior Jonathan Quigley/Annandale (W.T. Woodson) (1-5).  Junior David Smiy Jr./Chesterfield (Matoaca) (1-4) followed with a bunt single to the pitcher as both runners advanced a base with Havers scoring unearned via a throwing error before Quigley was thrown out at third base on the play.
   
North Carolina, a program that has advanced to the last three consecutive College World Series (2006-08), rallied back with two runs in the third inning on a two-out, two-run home run to right field by Ackley (3-5, 4 RBI) to make it 4-2.  The Tar Heels closed to within 4-3 with another run in the fourth inning on a lead-off, opposite-field solo home run to left field by Mark Fleury (1-5, RBI).  UNC tied the game at 4-4 with a run in the fifth inning following a one-out RBI single through the right side by Ackley that scored Ben Bunting (1-3) who had drawn a one-out walk.
   
It remained a 4-4 deadlock until the bottom of the extra 12th inning when Ackley hit his one-out, walk-off solo home run.  Jacob Stallings (1-0) picked-up the pitching win for North Carolina with the final 1.0 scoreless inning with one strikeout.
   
Longwood senior Paul Heidler II/Warrenton (Notre Dame Academy) started on the mound and pitched the first 4.0 innings, scattering three hits and three earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts.  Sophomore Chris Briere/Midlothian (James River) followed with 1.0 inning, yielding one hit and one earned run with two walks.  Freshman Mark Montgomery/Williamsburg (Bruton) pitched the next 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.  Junior Lance Harting/Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) (5-7) took the mound loss with the final 3.1 innings, yielding two hits and one earned run with no walks and one strikeout.