Box Score
BUDDY BOLDING TRIBUTE VIDEO (YouTube) / PHOTO GALLERY
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Sophomore
Brandon Delk/Newport News had two hits, including a game-tying RBI single in the ninth inning, and senior
Justin Lacy/Glen Allen scored the game-winning run with two outs in the ninth, to lead Longwood University to a 6-5 come-from-behind Big South Conference baseball victory past Gardner-Webb University on Saturday evening at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville. Sophomore
Brandon Vick/Newport News gained the pitching win with the complete-game effort for the host Lancers (19-21, 9-8 Big South) in the middle game of the weekend's three-game series. Henry Rundio had two hits for the visiting Bulldogs (20-18-1, 7-7 Big South), while Andrew Barnett took the mound loss. It was Buddy Bolding Day on Saturday in honor of the 35th-year head coach, who is retiring at season's end, and was attended by many of his 300-plus former players among a crowd of 626. Longwood and Gardner-Webb will play the series finale on Sunday, April 21 at 1 p.m. at Bolding Stadium in Farmville.
Gardner-Webb got on the scoreboard first with two unearned runs in the first inning as JJ Nazzaro (1-3, RBI) singled, moved to second on a bloop single by Benji Jackson (1-4) and scored when Scott Coleman (1-4, RBI) hit a fly ball out to right field that allowed him to move to third and onward across the plate due to a throwing error. Jackson later scored when a pop-up at first base was dropped for a fielding error. The Bulldogs added another run in the second to lead 3-0 after a sacrifice fly to left field by Nazzaro plated Scott Johnson (1-4, RBI), who had drawn a walk to open the inning.
Longwood answered with two runs in the second inning to make it 3-2 when freshman
Kyri Washington/Prospect (2-3) singled with one out, moved to second on a ground out and scored on a two-out, RBI single from Delk (2-4, 2 RBI), who later scored unearned courtesy of a passed ball. The Lancers tied it at 3-3 in the fourth inning as Washington singled with one out before advancing two bases courtesy of two wild pitches, and scored on a sacrifice fly ball to right field by Lacy (1-3, RBI).
Longwood added another run in the fifth inning to take its first lead at 4-3 following a single by freshman
Travis Burnette/Lynchburg (1-4), who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate
C.J. Roth/Yorktown (0-2) and crossed the plate on a run-scoring single by freshman
Colton Konvicka/Richmond (1-4, RBI).
Gardner-Webb responded with a run in the sixth inning to tie it again at 4-4 after a lead off double down the left field line by Collins, who advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on an RBI single from Adam Tiller (1-4, RBI). The Bulldogs added another run in the seventh inning to lead 5-4, getting a double from Rundio (2-5), who later scored on an RBI single by Coleman.
Longwood won it with the two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth that began when junior captain
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (1-4) singled and was pinch-run for by sophomore
Travis Biddix/Richmond. Washington promptly moved Biddix to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Lacy followed with another single to put runners on the corners with one out. Mitch Warner replaced Barnette, and yielded the game-tying RBI single to Delk on his first pitch as Biddix scored. Warner was replaced by Conner Scarborough, who allowed Burnette to reach on a fielder's choice with Delk out at second while Lacy moved to third. Scarborough's second pitch got by the catcher for a passed ball and Lacy crossed the plate with the winning run and the exciting walk-off victory for the Lancers.
Vick (4-4) started and pitched the 9.0 innings for Longwood, scattering eight hits and five runs, three earned, with four walks and three strikeouts. The 6-5, 205-pound southpaw improved to 4-1 with a 1.43 ERA over 44.0 innings in his six Big South starts.
Barnett (2-2) pitched the first 8.1 innings for Gardner-Webb, allowing eight hits and six runs, four earned, with no walks and seven strikeouts.
