Box Score
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Luke Willis hit an inside-the-park solo home run, Josh Leemhuis had two hits and Jared Gaynor pitched a complete-game, to lead George Mason University of the Atlantic 10 Conference to a 2-1 non-conference baseball victory at Longwood University on Wednesday afternoon at Bolding Stadium in Farmville. Senior captain
Alex Owens/Purcellville had a solo home run to lead the host Lancers (4-5) against the visiting Patriots (6-2), while sophomore
Blake Ream/Yorktown took the hard-luck mound loss. Longwood will play a three-game weekend series on the road at Wofford College of the Southern Conference on February 28-March 2 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Longwood and George Mason contested an old-fashioned pitcher's duel in a fast-paced game that lasted only one hour and 55 minutes. The Lancers took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the second inning when Owens (1-3, RBI) hit a solo home run to right center field, his first of the season, and the 13th homer of his career. The ball carried just to the left of the 375-foot sign located to the left of the scoreboard and video board in right field.
George Mason, however, tied it at 1-1 with a run in the top of the third inning after
Chris Cook (0-2) drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a single by Leemhuis (2-4) and on to third via a passed ball. With two outs and runners on the corners, the Patriots drew two more walks, the latter to Blaise Fernandez (0-3, RBI) to push Cook across the plate. GMU scored what proved to be the winning run the top of the fifth inning on a two-out, solo home run by Willis (1-4, RBI) … a ball that sophomore left fielder
Kyri Washington/Prospect (1-4) tracked to the fence but dropped upon impact with the fence at full speed. Washington went down on the play and stayed down while Willis rounded the bases for the rare inside-the-park homer. Fortunately, Washington stayed in the game for the hosts.
Longwood put its first two batters on base in the bottom of the seventh inning on singles by both Washington and junior
Brandon Delk/Newport News (1-3), but a ground ball double play and a strikeout ended the threat. Washington had also hit a deep fly ball that was caught up against the 375-foot sign in left center field in the fourth inning for the Lancers. Sophomores
Colton Konvicka/Richmond (1-3) and
C.J. Roth/Yorktown (1-4) also collected singles for the hosts, and Konvicka added a stolen base.
Gaynor (2-1) took care of the rest for George Mason, going the distance for Patriots and scattering five hits and one earned run with five strikeouts and no walks.
Ream (0-3) pitched solid for Longwood over the first 6.0 innings, yielding just three hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts, though issuing seven walks. Sophomore
Travis Burnette/Lynchburg tossed the final 3.0 shutout innings for the Lancers, allowing no hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Longwood and George Mason were playing for the 14th time and the Patriots now lead the all-time series, 8-6. The Lancers and GMU will play again on May 6 in Fairfax.
