Box Score
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Aaron Attaway had two hits and two RBI, and Bradley Strong also had two RBI to lead Western Carolina University of the Southern Conference to an 8-5 non-conference baseball victory against Longwood University on Wednesday afternoon in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Taylor Sandefur gained the pitching win for the Catamounts (4-5) with the first 6.0 innings, and Tyler Powell gained the save with the final inning on the mound. Junior
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake had four hits to lead the visiting Lancers (3-3), and classmate
Alex Owens/Purcellville had two RBI, while sophomore
Brandon Vick/Newport News took the pitching loss. Longwood will return home to host the University of Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference for a three-game weekend series, March 1-3, at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville.
Longwood took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Dickason (4-4) had a one-out single that was followed by an RBI double from Owens (2-3, 2 RBI). Western Carolina answered right back in its half of the first, getting three-straight hits to open, including a single by Austin Neary (1-4), a run-scoring triple from Strong (1-4, 2 RBI) and another (RBI) single by Attaway (2-5, 2 RBI). With two outs in the inning, a single by Cody Jones (1-4, RBI) was misplayed in center field and two runs crossed the plate, and Jones later scored on another fielding error, to provide a 5-1 margin in the game.
Western Carolina added a run in the fifth to lead 6-1 on a triple from Tyler White (2-5), followed by an RBI single by Jacob Hoyle (2-4, RBI). The Lancers made it 6-2 with a run in the sixth as Dickason singled, stole second, moved to third on an error and scored unearned on a wild pitch. The Catamounts added two more runs in the sixth, getting a sacrifice fly from Strong and a run-scoring single from Attaway.
Longwood pushed across three runs in the eighth to make it 8-5 on a triple by Dickason, followed by back-to-back RBI doubles from Owens and sophomore
Brandon Delk/Newport News (1-3, RBI), and a two-out RBI double by freshman
Kyri Washington/Prospect (1-4, RBI). Unfortunately, that was as close as it would get for the Lancers.
Vick (0-2) started and pitched the first 5.1 innings for Longwood, allowing eight hits and eight runs, six earned, with two walks and two strikeouts. Freshman
Travis Burnette/Lynchburg tossed a scoreless eighth inning for the Lancers with three strikeouts.
Sandefur (1-0) started and pitched the first 6.0 innings for WCU, scattering four hits and two runs, one earned, with two walks and four strikeouts. Powell tossed the final scoreless inning with two strikeouts for his first save.
