Box Score
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Junior captain
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg provided a dramatic walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning to give Longwood University a 3-2 non-conference baseball victory past the University of Richmond of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tuesday night at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville. Burkett, who had three hits and also gained his first collegiate mound win in relief for the Lancers (22-24), drove the ball to the right field corner with one out to score freshman
Colton Konvicka/Richmond from second base with the winning run in the final home game for 35th-year veteran head coach Buddy Bolding (949-540-16), who has announced his retirement at season's end. Nick Poulos had two hits and two RBI for the Spiders (28-18), and Ray Harron took the pitching loss in late relief. A scheduled game at Norfolk State University on Wednesday, May 8 at 5 p.m. in Norfolk
has been canceled.
Longwood scored two runs in the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead after junior captain
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake (1-4) and Burkett (3-5, RBI) each singled with one out and came home on a two-run double to the gap in right center field by junior
Alex Owens/Purcellville (1-4, 2 RBI).
Richmond tied it at 2-2 with two runs in the fourth inning after loading the bases on a double by Bret Williams (1-4), a walk to Aaron Newman (0-2) and an infield single by Joey Vecchione (1-4). Poulos (2-4, 2 RBI) followed with a two-run single off the glove of a diving shortstop deep in the hole toward left field.
It remained deadlocked at two runs each until the extra 10th inning when sophomore
Travis Biddix/Richmond (1-4) led off with a single before Konvicka reached on a fielder's choice play while trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt where Biddix was out at second base. Dickason followed with a ground ball to the left side of second that the UR shortstop fielded and attempted to step on the bag and throw to first for a possible double-play; however, both Konvicka and Dickason were safe on the play to bring Burkett to the plate. Burkett, who had faced two batters while recording the final out in the top of the 10th, promptly lined the first pitch to the right field corner that easily allowed Konvicka to score the decisive run from second to provide Coach Bolding with the well-deserved and fitting victory in his final home game.
Senior
Justin Lacy/Glen Allen (2-4) added two hits for the Lancers in his final home appearance.
Burkett (1-0), making just his third collegiate mound appearance, pitched to two batters in the 10th for Longwood with one walk before a fly ball out. Sophomore
Tyler Wislocki/Annandale had started and pitched the first 3.0 scoreless innings for the Lancers, scattering three hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Freshman
Travis Burnette/Lynchburg tossed 2.0 innings, allowing three hits and two runs, both earned, with two walks and no strikeouts. Classmate
Dylan Caruso/Appomattox pitched 4.2 shutout innings, yielding just one hit with two walks and one strikeout.
Harron (1-2) pitched 1.0 inning for Richmond, yielding one hit and one run, earned, with no walks and no strikeouts. Burkett's game-winning hit came off of the Spiders' weekend closer, Andrew Brockett, who faced two batters. Zak Sterling had started and tossed the first 2.0 innings, allowing three hit and two runs, both earned, with no walks and one strikeout. UR used eight pitchers in the contest.
