May 11, 2010

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took a 9-6 home baseball victory past visiting Radford University of the Big South Conference Tuesday night at Bolding Stadium in Farmville. It was Senior Night for the Lancers (23-18) as senior right-handed pitcher Lance Harting/Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) improved to 8-0 on the mound this season with 7.0 solid innings, and junior Brant Jones/Richmond (Monacan) collected four hits and two RBI against the Highlanders (26-21). Longwood will play again Wednesday, May 12, at Old Dominion University of the Colonial Athletic Association in Norfolk beginning at 6 p.m..

Longwood fell behind 1-0 in the second inning as Radford scored on an RBI single from Andrew Cook (3-4, RBI). The Lancers, however, answered with three runs in the second after two outs as senior Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania) (2-5, RBI) hit an RBI double down the left field line and Jones (4-5, 2 RBI) added a two-run single. LU added a run in the fourth to lead 4-1 after an RBI ground-out from senior Robbie Bailey/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (1-4, RBI) scored sophomore Robby Newman/Virginia Beach (Salem) (2-4) who had singled. The Highlanders scored another run in the fifth to make it 4-2 as Reggie Keen (1-5, 5 RBI) provided an RBI ground ball. RU scored again in the seventh to close to within 4-3 as Keen reached on a fielder's choice that drove-in another run.

Longwood responded once-again with five runs in the eighth to take control at 9-3 as senior Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) (1-3, RBI) contributed a sacrifice fly, classmate David Smiy Jr./Chesterfield (Matoaca) (2-5, 2 RBI) had a clutch two-out, two-run single following an intentional walk to senior Phil Cerreto/Midlothian (Midlothian) (1-4) had loaded the bases, before sophomore Dustin Sollars/Midlothian (Cosby) (1-5, 2 RBI) added a two-run double for the six-run advantage. The visitors managed three runs in the ninth on a two-out, three-run home run to left field by Keen. Freshman Justin Lacy/Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker) (3-5) had three hits for the Lancers while everyone in the lineup had at least one hit as the hosts pounded five guest pitchers for 17 hits on the night.

Harting (8-0), pitching on three days rest, was solid while remaining perfect on the season with his eighth victory. He went the first 7.0 innings, scattering seven hits and three runs, two earned, with seven strikeouts and one walk. Sophomore Mark Montgomery/Williamsburg (Bruton) (5) earned his fifth save with the final 2.0 innings, allowing four hits and three runs, all earned, with three strikeouts and no walks.

Derrick Brewer (0-3) took the mound loss for Radford with the first 3.0 innings, yielding eight hits and three runs, all earned, with one strikeout and no walks. Matt Hillsinger (3-5) also had three hits for the Highlanders, and Brett Mollenhauer (2-3) added two hits.

Havers and Jones each extended their respective hitting streaks to 20 and 16 games -- Havers' streak is the team's longest this year and third-best in the 33-year history of the program.

Longwood improved its overall series lead against Radford to 11-7, though it was the Lancers' first win over the Highlanders since March 27, 2007 (17-15).