May 4, 2010

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University rallied for an exciting 5-4 come-from-behind home baseball victory past the University of Richmond from the Atlantic 10 Conference Tuesday night at Bolding Stadium in Farmville. The Lancers (20-16) scored the winning run in the ninth inning against the visiting Spiders (20-22) as sophomore Dustin Sollars/Midlothian (Cosby) hit a bases-loaded RBI infield single with one out that scored junior Brant Jones/Richmond (Monacan) with the winning run and capped the late comeback from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits. It marks the 29th overall 20-win season for Longwood, while only the program's second-ever win against Richmond in 11 meetings. Longwood and Richmond will complete their two-day, home-and-home series on Wednesday, May 5, at UR's Pitt Field in Richmond beginning at 3 p.m..

Richmond took an early 1-0 advantage in the fourth inning as Billy Barber (2-4, RBI) contributed an RBI double to left center. The Spiders added two more runs in the sixth to lead 3-0 after a two-run home run down the right field line by Mike Mergenthaler (1-4, 2 RBI). Longwood scored a run in the sixth as well after Jones (2-5) led off with a single and later scored on a wild pitch. UR made it 4-1 in the seventh when Chris Cowell (1-3, RBI) hit a lead-off home run to left field. The Lancers, however, refused to quit and rallied back with three runs in the seventh to tie it at 4-4 following an RBI single from senior Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania) (2-5, RBI) and a clutch, two-out, two-run double to the right center field wall by senior Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) (3-4, 2 RBI).

LU secured the program's 29th 20-win campaign in the bottom of the ninth on the well-placed hit by Sollars (1-2, RBI) that the Richmond second baseman was able to dive and get a glove on near the bag at second base but could not make a play as Jones crossed the plate. Jones had reached on a single, followed by another double from Havers that was off the fence in left center before the Spiders chose to load the bases with an intentional walk, their second of the night, to senior Phil Cerreto/Midlothian (Midlothian) (0-3).

Senior Lance Harting/Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) (7-0) took the pitching win for Longwood with the final 2.0 scoreless innings, yielding just one hit with one strikeout and no walks to remain perfect on the mound with his seventh win. Junior Chris Briere/Midlothian (James River) had started for the Lancers and pitched the first 5.2 solid innings, scattering three hits and three runs, two earned, with a season-high eight strikeouts and one walk.

Barber (3-2) had the mound loss for Richmond in relief while pitching the final 1.2 innings, yielding three hits and one run, earned, with two strikeouts and one walk. Billy Falasco had started for the Spiders with the first 6.1 innings, allowing six hits and four runs, all earned, with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Havers (15) and Jones (11) each extended their respective current hitting streaks for Longwood as the current 15-game streak by Havers is the longest of the season for the Lancers.