FARMVILLE, VA. – The Lancers scored all nine runs in their final four trips to the plate including a pair of three-run innings to pull away from Savannah State, 9-4, Friday evening at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
Connar Bastaich led the offensive charge with a 3-for-5 night at the plate in a game that Longwood (20-15, 7-5 Big South) finished one off its season high with 13 hits coming from nine of the 10 Lancers to step to the plate in the win. Every Lancer reached safely at least once as Longwood beat Savannah State (9-26, 4-8 MEAC) in a game that was scoreless until the home half of the fifth inning.
 
"It was a hard-fought game early on and it took a while to get the offense firing," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said after the win. "It's always good to take the opening game of the series. We're trying to compete and win every ballgame and hopefully we continue to do so."
 
The Lancers never trailed, but led by just one run at the start of the home half of the sixth and again had a narrow single-tally lead in the bottom of the seventh. Off the bench freshman Jon Peterson put the game on ice with a three-run home run to right in the Lancer half of the seventh inning and gave the Lancers a 7-3 lead.
 
"I felt like he was due," Mau said jokingly in a postgame interview with Scott Bacon on 92.9 Farmville WVHL. "[Peterson] has been putting in a lot of work offensively this past week. His swing in batting practice has been outstanding and I was just waiting for the right situation to put him in the game."
 
Throughout the crisp spring night Peterson waited for his chance to enter what was a tightly-contested game and went out to the Longwood bullpen to take a few practice swings before Mau called his number in the seventh inning. Once Peterson stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter, he rewarded his coach's decision. Peterson said he knew it was gone as soon as he hit it.
 
"It was a 3-1 count and coach [Chad Oxendine] teaches us in a hitter's situation to look for a fastball up," Peterson said. "He put it right there. Once you hit it, you trust your swing, and I knew I had it right away."
 
Peterson, a native of Lancaster, Pa., had been used as a pinch hitter in six games before entering Friday's contest, but had only singled once in seven previous plate appearances. After the home run the youngster headed off the field, but didn't face the notorious silent treatment once he returned to the Longwood dugout. He was greeted by his teammates after giving Longwood a four-run advantage.
 
"He put a great swing on it and put one out of the park," Mau said. "He deserves it. He's been working hard and been waiting for an opportunity. He stepped up and delivered tonight."
 
Peterson finished with a game high three RBI. Bastaich, Michael Osinski, and Brandon Harvell each finished with multiple hits in the win. Bastaich scored a pair of runs and picked up the first RBI of the game on a single in the fifth inning. The Lancers scored three runs in the half inning to break up what was a scoreless tie. Harvell was the only Lancer to cross home more than Bastaich, scoring three times, including the first run of the day on a balk.
 
Senior right-hander Travis Burnette (6-1) picked up the win as he held Savannah State off the board until the sixth inning. Burnette allowed two runs in 5.2 innings of work with a season-high eight strikeouts in the win. Greg Hollman (0-5) took the loss for the Tigers after surrendering two runs on five hits across 4.1 innings. Ryan Jones nailed down the save, his fourth, after entering a one-run game in the seventh inning and holding Savannah State to one run on a pair of hits and struck out a pair of batters over the final 2.1 innings of the game.
 
Burnette was in full control early in the game, allowing just three singles and a walk in his first 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts. Burnette had to wait on the bench during Longwood's three-run rally in the fifth inning that saw all nine Lancers make a plate appearance and netted Longwood three runs on four hits, two walks, a hit batter, and a balk with two mid-inning pitching changes. After the lengthy pause in his night, Burnette returned to action and recorded only two more outs and allowed the only runs he gave up in the outing.
 
"I thought the long break might have played a factor," Mau said. "He went down and tried to toss in the bullpen during that long break to try to stay warm. Unfortunately it looked like he ran into a little bit of trouble and I thought it was time to make the move."
 
Mau called for a pitching change with a 2-2 count to Savannah State shortstop Somto Egbuna at the plate. Cody Wager stepped into the game and in two pitches got Egbuna to ground out to shortstop and end the inning, stranding the potential tying run at third base.
 
Wager and Jones, the two pitchers Longwood used in relief of Burnette, tossed a combined 3.1 innings with two runs allowed on four hits.
 
"I like the fact that our bullpen has some options," Mau said. "Having some depth gives us some options to make some matchup moves. I like our options down there, we can make a few moves to keep the game tight and those guys did a great job of executing when they came in."
 
With the win Longwood improves to 15-5 at home and 2-1 on the season against MEAC teams. The Lancers and Tigers play game two Saturday with Steven Farkas (2-1) expected to get the start for Longwood opposite of Austin Robinson (2-0) for Savannah State. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
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