2.18.2012

BOX SCORE GAME ONE

BOX SCORE GAME TWO

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University split a baseball doubleheader against Iona College Saturday afternoon at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville.  The Lancers (2-1) claimed a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind win in game one when sophomore Alex Owens|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) hit a walk-off, two-out RBI double in the ninth inning as the hosts rallied from an early 4-1 deficit.  Owens had two hits and three RBI in the opener, while freshman Tyler Wislocki|Annandale (W.T. Woodson) earned the pitching win with the final 2.0 shutout innings.  The Gaels (1-2) were able to avoid the series sweep with a 10-4 victory in game two, scoring six runs in the first inning and never looking back.  Senior Robby Newman|Virginia Beach (Salem) hit a two-run home run for LU in the nightcap.  Longwood will play again on Wednesday, February 22, at James Madison University of the Colonial Athletic Association in Harrisonburg at 4 p.m.
   
In the opener, it was scoreless through three innings before Iona scored a run in the fourth to lead 1-0.  Longwood tied it at 1-1 with a run in the fourth as well when Owens (2-5, 3 RBI) provided an RBI single that scored junior Justin Lacy|Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker) (2-4) who had doubled.  The Gaels went ahead 4-1 with three runs in the fifth, but the Lancers again responded and scored three runs in the fifth too.  Sophomore Scott Burkett|Williamsburg (Jamestown) (1-4, RBI) had an RBI single, freshman Travis Biddix|Richmond (Mills E. Godwin) (2-4, RBI) scored on a wild pitch after reaching on a single, and Owens reached on a fielder's choice that scored Burkett.  LU went ahead 5-4 with a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Biddix that scored freshman Conner Hall|Mechanicsville (Atlee) (1-1) who had pinch-hit and singled.
   
Iona added another run in the seventh to tie it again at 5-5 before the decisive ninth inning for Longwood.  Biddix led-off with a single, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Burkett, advancing to third on a grounder from Lacy.  After an intentional walk to Newman (1-3), Owens hit the first pitch down the right field line for the game-winner as Biddix scored.  Wislocki (1-0) gained his first collegiate pitching win with the final 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit with no walks and one strikeout.  Freshman Brandon Vick|Newport News (Warwick) had started on the mound and pitched the first 4.0-plus innings, yielding one hit and four runs, one earned, with one walk and three strikeouts.  Sophomore Matt Dickason|Chesapeake (Indian River) (2-5) also had two hits in the game.
   
In the nightcap, Iona plated six runs in the first, two in the second, and two more in the sixth en route to the six-run win.  The Gaels had 12 hits, including a two-run home run and a two-run double by James Beck (2-4, 5 RBI) who had five RBI, while Bobby Vitulano (1-3, 2 RBI) added two RBI and Chris Burke (2-4) had two hits as well.  John Nargoski (1-0) earned the pitching win with the first 4.0 innings, scattering two hits and two runs, both earned, with six walks and one strikeout.
   
Longwood scored a run in the second on an RBI grounder from freshman Joey Varaksa|Charlottesville (Albemarle) (1-3, 2 RBI), and added another run in the fourth when Varaksa singled to score senior Dustin Sollars|Midlothian (Cosby) (1-1) who had doubled.  The Lancers scored two runs in the sixth as Newman (1-2, 2 RBI) hit the team's first home run of the season, a two-run blast following a walk to Sollars.  Freshman Zach Jordan|Hopewell (Motoaca) (0-1) took the mound loss with the first 5.0 innings, allowing 10 hits and eight runs, all earned, with one walk and one strikeout.