2.17.2012

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University opened its 2012 baseball campaign Friday afternoon with an 8-2 victory past visiting Iona College at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville.  The Lancers (1-0) scored three runs in the fourth inning and never looked back en route to the six-run season-opening win.  Senior Robby Newman|Virginia Beach (Salem) had three hits to lead Longwood, while sophomore Matt Dickason|Chesapeake (Indian River) had two hits and two RBI, and freshman Brandon Delk|Newport News (Warwick) provided three hits and two RBI as well.  Junior Kyler Morgan|Lancaster, Pa. (Lampeter-Strasburg) earned the mound win with the first 5.0 solid innings.  Longwood and Iona will play a doubleheader on Saturday, February 18, to complete the three-game series at Bolding Stadium in Farmville.
   
Iona took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning after an RBI single by Sean Menickella (2-3, RBI).  Longwood answered with a run in the second as well when Newman (3-3) reached on a one-out double an scored on an RBI single by sophomore Zach Mihalko|Richmond (Mills E. Godwin) (1-2, RBI).  The Lancers took control with three runs in the fourth inning courtesy of three hits and a throwing error.  Newman once-again doubled with one out and scored on an RBI single from sophomore Alex Owens|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (1-3, RBI).  Owens moved to second on a Mihalko sacrifice bunt, and advanced to third when Delk (3-4, 2 RBI) reached on a throwing error.  Delk stole second before a two-out, two-run single by Dickason (2-5, 2 RBI) made it 4-1.  The Gaels closed to within 4-2 with a run in the fifth on a two-out RBI single from Mike Chiaravallot (3-5, RBI) who had three hits for the visitors.
   
Longwood added two more runs in the sixth with the aid of two more errors, one fielding and one throwing.  Newman walked to lead-off and advanced to second when Owens reached on the fielding error.  Mihalko followed and reached on the throwing error while bunting, and moved to second with Owens advancing to third as Newman scored.  Delk provided an RBI infield single that scored Owens.  The Lancers added two insurance runs in the eighth as Delk hit a run-scoring single, and freshman Joey Varaksa|Charlottesville (Albemarle) (0-1, RBI) provided a sacrifice fly.
   
Morgan (1-0) pitched the first 5.0 innings for Longwood, scattering five hits and two runs, both earned, with one walk and three strikeouts.  Freshman Aaron Myers|Newport News (Denbigh) tossed 2.0 scoreless innings in middle relief, yielding a hit with one walk and three strikeouts as well, while sophomore Ryan Schubert|Springfield (Annandale) pitched the final 2.0 shutout innings, allowing two hits with one walk and one strikeout.
   
Eddie Macaluso (0-1) took the mound loss for Iona, pitching the first 5.0 innings and allowing seven hits and four runs, two earned, with no walks and three strikeouts.