Box Score
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Junior
Alex Owens/Purcellville had three hits and three RBI, and classmate
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg added two hits and two RBI, to lead Longwood University to a 9-5 come-from-behind victory past George Mason University in a non-conference baseball game on Wednesday evening at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville. The Lancers (14-16) scored six runs in the sixth inning en route to the home triumph, as freshman
Dylan Caruso/Appomattox gained his first collegiate pitching win in middle relief, while classmate
Travis Burnette/Lynchburg earned his first collegiate save. Blaise Fernandez had three hits and Josh Leemhuis had two hits and three RBI for the Patriots (12-17), while Neight Hoffa took the pitching loss. Longwood will play at Big South Conference North Division opponent High Point University for a three-game weekend series on April 5-7 in North Carolina.
George Mason took an early 3-0 advantage with three runs in the first inning, getting an RBI double from Tucker Tobin (2-4, RBI) to score Tommy Vitaletti (1-5), who had singled to open the game, and Leemhuis (2-4, 3 RBI) added a two-run double that scored both Duncan Satherlie (0-3), who had walked, along with Tobin. The Patriots made it 4-0 with a run in the third inning after Leemhuis added a two-out RBI single while bunting that plated Tobin, who had singled with one out. GMU extended the advantage to 5-0 with another run in the sixth inning when Mick Foley (0-3) drew a one-out walk, stole second base and scored on a run-scoring double from Andrew Sable (1-3, RBI).
Longwood finally got untracked offensively in the sixth, collecting seven hits -- five doubles along with a triple and a single -- to score six runs and take the lead for good at 6-5. Freshman
Colton Konvicka/Richmond (2-4) started the comeback with a one-out triple to right center field, followed by a double down the left field line by Owens (3-5, 3 RBI) that scored Konvicka. Junior
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake (2-5, RBI) followed with another double down the line to score Owens. Burkett added the at-bat's third-straight double, this one to right center field, that plated Dickason. Freshman
Kyri Washington/Prospect (1-4, RBI) had a run-scoring single to score Burkett, and Washington stole both second and third bases before scoring on a sacrifice fly from classmate
Blake Ream/Yorktown (0-3, RBI). Sophomore
Kenny Cassidy/Chesapeake (1-3) then doubled down the right field line ahead of the fifth double by classmate
Brandon Delk/Newport News (2-4, RBI) that scored sophomore
Travis Biddix/Richmond (1-1), who had pinch run for Cassidy.
The Lancers added a run in the seventh to lead 7-5 after Owens doubled with one out and scored on an RBI single by Burkett. Longwood made it 9-5 with two more runs in the eighth, getting a two-run single from Owens with one out to score both Biddix and Delk, who had each singled, while completing the rally from the early five-run deficit.
Caruso (1-0) pitched 2.2 innings of middle relief to gain his first pitching win for Longwood, scattering three hits and one run, earned, with two walks and three strikeouts. Burnette tossed the final 2.1 shutout innings to earn his first collegiate save for the Lancers, yielding no hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Hoffa (0-2) pitched just two-thirds of an inning for George Mason, allowing six hits and six runs, all earned, with no walks and no strikeouts.
