3.10.2012

BOX SCORE GAME ONE

BOX SCORE GAME TWO

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University dropped both games of a baseball doubleheader to visiting Niagara University of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Saturday afternoon at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville.  The Lancers (9-6) fell in game one by a score of 6-5 as the Purple Eagles (7-6) rallied with four runs in the ninth inning, before the visitors took a 15-1 decision in game two.  Sophomore Alex Owens|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) hit a three-run home run in the opener, while junior Justin Lacy|Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker) added a two-run single in the first game.  Longwood and Niagara will play the four-game weekend series finale on Sunday, March 11, at Bolding Stadium in Farmville at 12 p.m.
   
Longwood fell behind 1-0 in the first inning of the opener as Ryan McCauley (2-4, 2 RBI) provided an RBI single for Niagara.  The Lancers took a 3-1 lead in the second inning when Owens (1-2, 3 RBI) slammed a three-run homer down the right field line -- his first of the season and fifth of his career.  The Purple Eagles added a run in the fourth to trail 3-2 after a sacrifice fly by Jeff Calhoon (0-2, RBI).  The Lancers extended their advantage to 5-2 in the fifth following the two-run single by Lacy (1-3, 2 RBI).  It remained a three-run lead for the hosts until the ninth inning when the visitors managed to score four runs to escape with the one-run win.  Wynton Bernard (2-5, RBI) led off with a solo home run, followed by an RBI double by Thomas Rodrigues (1-4, RBI), a run-scoring single from Adam Wagner (1-4, RBI), and the decisive sac fly RBI by McCauley.
   
Sophomore Ryan Schubert|Springfield (Annandale) (2-1) took the pitching loss in relief for Longwood, facing five batters in the ninth while registering one out, two hits, one run, earned, with two walks and no strikeouts.  Senior Matt Gwaltney|Chesterfield (Matoaca) started for the Lancers and pitched the first 8.1 innings, yielding 10 hits and five runs, four earned, with two walks and two strikeouts.  Senior Robby Newman|Virginia Beach (Salem) (2-4) had two hits for the hosts.
   
Geoff Soja (1-1) earned the mound win for Niagara in late relief with 1.0 inning, allowing no hits and no runs with no walks and one strikeout.  Kody Kasper (2) pitched the final 1.0 scoreless inning with two walks for the save.
   
Niagara scored three runs in the first inning of the nightcap, adding eight more runs in the third, one run in the fourth, and three runs in the fifth en route to the twinbill sweep on the day.  Longwood scored a run in the second inning when sophomore Zach Mihalko|Richmond (Mills E. Godwin) (1-3, RBI) provided a run-scoring single.  Lacy (2-3) and freshman Joey Varaksa|Charlottesville (Albemarle) (2-3) each had two hits for the Lancers.
   
The Purple Eagles were led by McCauley (3-5, 5 RBI) with three hits, including a two-run homer, and five RBI, while Jon Wilson (3-4, 3 RBI) had three hits as well, including a solo home run, and three RBI.
   
Jim Fort (1-0) started for Niagara and pitched the first 5.0 innings, scattering four hits and one run, earned, with one walk and six strikeouts for the pitching win.
   
Sophomore Cory Ramsey|Petersburg (Matoaca) started for Longwood and pitched the first 4.0 innings, allowing 11 hits and 12 runs, four earned, with three walks and no strikeouts for the mound loss.  The Lancers had four errors in the game, including three in the eight-run third inning.