March 19, 2010

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University dropped a 2-0 decision in baseball to visiting Rider University of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Friday afternoon at Bolding Stadium in Farmville. The Lancers (8-6) were shutout for the first time this season by the Broncs (7-7), though senior Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) (3-4) was able to collect three hits for the hosts. Longwood and Rider will continue their four-game weekend series on Saturday, March 20, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.. Admission is free to all home baseball games at Bolding Stadium in Farmville.

Rider scored the only two runs of the contest in the top of the fourth inning, stringing together four consecutive singles with one out, the third of the RBI variety by Karl Johnston (2-3, RBI), while A.J. Albee (2-4, RBI) added an RBI sacrifice foul-ball fly outside the right field line to produce the other run. Neither team was able to score any further runs as the Broncs stranded 15 runners on base, while Longwood left seven.

RU did have 13 hits in the game, all singles, including three from Adam Wayman (3-5), and two each from Johnston, Albee, Brandon Cotten (2-4), and Mason Heyne (2-5). Mike Thomas (2-2) earned the pitching win for the Broncs with the first 7.1 shutout innings, allowing just five hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Mike Murphy (1) got the mound save with the final 1.0 inning with one strikeout and no walks.

Longwood was led at the plate by Havers with his three singles as there were no extra base hits by either team on the day. Junior Troy Dickman/Midlothian (Midlothian) (1-2) took the mound loss for Longwood, starting and pitching the first 5.0 innings while allowing nine hits and two runs, both earned, with one strikeout and two walks. Senior Lance Harting/Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of middle relief, scattering three hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Sophomore Mark Montgomery/Williamsburg (Bruton) tossed the final 1.2 scoreless innings for the Lancers, yielding one hit with two strikeouts and no walks.