FARMVILLE, Va. – Aaron Myers completed the Longwood strikeout record trifecta by breaking the program's single-season strikeouts record, but a two-run ninth-inning rally spoiled the record-setting night and propelled Winthrop to a 2-1 win in the series opener Thursday evening at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
Winthrop center fielder John Menken played spoiler to Longwood (21-29, 9-13 Big South) on an historic night for Myers, erasing another dominant start from the record-setting Longwood ace with a game-tying RBI triple in the top of the ninth. Menken added to his heroics that same inning by scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch that gave the Eagles (36-17, 14-8 Big South)  a come-from-behind win in a pitcher's duel that was scoreless until the sixth inning.
 
Menken's triple went to the right field gap and plated pinch runner Jake Sullivan, who stepped in at first base after cleanup hitter Mark Lowrie drew a one-out walk that sparked the ninth-inning rally. Sullivan scored from first on Menken's triple, and two pitches later Menken covered the final 90 feet when a high fastball from Longwood reliever Travis Burnette (2-3) sailed just out of reach of catcher Mac McCafferty and to the backstop.
 
Menken's late-game heroics spoiled eight scoreless innings on the mound from Myers and Burnette, who combined to surrender just two hits and strike out 11 over those first eight frames. Myers' eight punchouts over 6.0 frames added to his ever-expanding list of Longwood records, surpassing Steve Mozucha's 20-year-old single-season strikeouts record (107) and Brian McCullough's eight-year-old innings pitched record (329). In his final home start at Bolding Stadium, Myers added single-season strikeouts leader to a resume that already includes career strikeouts leader and a share of the single-game strikeouts record.
 
The dual performance of Myers and Burnette, coupled with a self-generated run from junior infielder C.J. Roth, gave Longwood a 1-0 lead in a Thursday night pitcher's duel that lasted until Winthrop's high-powered offense woke up in the top of the ninth. However, that offense, which entered the night leading the Big South with a .297 average, needed just one stroke from Menken to come alive and overtake the Lancers' slim lead.
 
"I thought we threw the ball outstanding tonight," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "Obviously when you play an offensive team like Winthrop and limit them to only three hits, you feel good about your chances. Offensively, I thought we missed an opportunity in the bottom of the third to get on the board early. I thought we were a little complacent after we grabbed the one-run lead, and it came back to bite us in the ninth there."
 
Longwood's one run came almost entirely from the efforts of Roth, who started a one-man rally in the sixth inning with a bloop single to shallow center field. From there, Roth swiped second for his 12th stolen base of the year and then drew a pickoff throw from Winthrop starter Sam Kmiec that sailed into center field. Roth moved to third on the error and then got a free pass to the plate when Menken's throw to third from center field soared into Longwood's dugout.
 
Roth would tag two of Longwood's four hits, including a push bunt single in the third, but Kmiec and the Winthrop bullpen duo of Michael Green and Travis Shelley (3-0) quieted the rest of the Lancer order. Green tossed 2.2 innings of one-run ball in relief of Kmiec before Shelley took over and retired four of the five batters he faced in the final two frames on the way to his 10th consecutive scoreless inning.
 
"I really like the last couple games how we've been pitching and defending, but the offense has been a little up and down," Mau said. "We need to get that third piece going so we can grab some momentum heading into next week. I thought C.J. Roth had an outstanding game. He did some little things for us, applied pressure and made things happen. That was good to see today."
 
Shelley twice stranded Longwood runners in scoring position, including the bottom of the eighth when he entered with leadoff batter and Big South stolen base leader Colton Konvicka on third with two outs. Konvicka started the would-be rally with a double to the left field gap and then stole third, but he advanced no further after Shelley took the mound and used just two pitches to coax a groundout and keep Longwood's lead at 1-0.
 
After Menken's big knock in the top of the ninth, Longwood moved another runner into scoring position in the bottom half of the final inning when Travis Biddix reached on an infield single and moved to second on an errant throw to first on the play. Biddix was left standing on second when the game ended, however, after Shelley forced Longwood hits leader Connar Bastaich to line out softly to second base and then struck out pinch hitter Alex Lewis to end the game.
 
The loss marks the first time Longwood has dropped back-to-back conference games since Liberty won the first two games of that series on April 17-18. The loss has no effect on Longwood's opportunity to play in the postseason, but the result of this weekend's series will have implications on seeding in the Big South Tournament.
 
"We have to treat these games like next week," said Mau, whose Lancers are guaranteed a spot in the eight-team Big South Championship field. "I didn't think we were focused enough offensively to get the job done today. The message to the team was that we can't lose back-to-back games. Losing back-to-back games this weekend, if you continue that trend next week, you're going home. We have to find a way to recover and get it done tomorrow."
 
The series against Winthrop continues Friday at 6 p.m. when Longwood right-hander Luke Simpson (3-2, 3.70 ERA) takes the mound opposite Winthrop ace Matt Crohan (7-3, 2.66 ERA). The game will air on the Big South Network.

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