FARMVILLE, VA. – A five-run rally in the home half of the fifth inning was the difference as Longwood came from behind to beat Campbell, 8-4, Saturday afternoon at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
Trailing 4-0 after a three-run top half of the sixth inning, Longwood went to work offensively with six consecutive hits, the final a two-run single by Michael Osinski, that tied the game at four. Longwood (23-16, 8-5 Big South) scored another run in the inning and led the rest of the way to break out of a tie in third place in the conference standings (20-19, 7-6 Big South).
 
"It's always good to come out and get game one," Longwood second year head coach Ryan Mau said. "I thought we competed. We found a way to get it done in the back end of the game today, which seems to be a common theme lately."
 
In the win the Lancers got multiple hits from Sammy Miller, Alex Lewis, and Osinski. Seven of the nine starters picked up a hit, eight of the nine reached safely, and the lone starter without a hit or walk, Carlos Garrido, drove in the winning run in the five-run sixth inning for Longwood on a play at the plate, beat out by a headfirst dive from Lewis.
 
"It was huge to have that big inning after their big inning, we call those 'answer-backs,'" Mau said. "When we score we try not to give up 'answer-backs' and when opponents score we try to get them. To string together six consecutive hits to start the inning and to bat around was outstanding."
 
In the sixth inning for Longwood 11 batters stepped to the plate and eight reached safely with Janos Briscoe, who started the frame with a single, and Miller each batting twice in the rally.
 
Ryan Jones (2-2) got the win out of the bullpen for Longwood. The junior right-hander allowed just three baserunners on a pair of hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in the win. Nick Thayer (6-4), who retired 11 consecutive batters after allowing a lead-off single in the first, took the loss after allowing the Lancer rally. Thayer was charged with all five runs in the sixth and lasted 5.0 innings with eight hits allowed and struck out four batters with four walks issued. Sophomore left-hander Michael Catlin picked up the save, his first, with 1.2 perfect innings and a three-strikeout performance, the final a called third strike to end the game.
 
"The bullpen was spectacular today," Mau said. "[Jones] continues to impress and deliver. He gets us out of some trouble in the sixth and Michael Catlin was outstanding in the back end."
 
The two arms out of the bullpen combined struck out five batters with just three base runners allowed and only let one runner into scoring position.
 
Travis Burnette, Longwood's starter, did not factor into the decision. After the senior right-hander retired eight in a row from the second inning through the end of the fourth, Burnette ran into trouble in the sixth inning and allowed three runs to score. In all the senior allowed four runs in 5.1 innings, but struck out five batters in the team's win. Longwood improved to 9-1 in games Burnette has started.
 
Burnette and Jones each left their mark on the running game Saturday. Both pitchers made impressive fielding plays, throwing out runners at the plate on bunts, and each picked off a runner at second base. Burnette picked off Campbell third baseman Junior Snow at second to end the fifth inning. Jones picked off Campbell left fielder Drew Butler at second base to end the sixth inning, and then picked off Snow at second base in the seventh.
 
"We work on it, and it's a point of emphasis for us to pick off runners," Mau said. "It's been paying off. In that sixth inning they got us into trouble. They executed a squeeze and forced a play at the plate, but they tried to execute another squeeze and Jones made a heck of a play at the plate and then gets us out of it with a great pickoff at second base. Even though we gave up the big inning, I thought we stopped the damage as best we could."
 
Longwood has gotten 14 pickoffs as a team, led by Jones with five, closely followed by Burnette with four. Jones sits second in the Big South in pickoffs.
 
Once Longwood got out of the top of the sixth, it was up to the offense to rally for the Lancers. Briscoe singled to center, Miller singled to left, C.J. Roth hit an RBI double to right, Connar Bastaich singled to center, Lewis singled to third, and Osinski drove in a pair on a single to right-center field to tie the game.
 
"I thought it was a collaborative effort for the game as we got production from a lot of different people," Mau said. "Offensively the execution when called upon was nearly perfect. When we can execute when called upon like that we can put up some runs. I'm just glad to get this win."
 
The five runs in the rally were the second most scored by Longwood in a single inning on the season.
 
Longwood picked up its 23rd win of the season, surpassing the team's win total of 22 in Mau's first season as head coach. The Lancers also tied the 2010 team for the most home wins in the Division-I era by improving to 18-5 at home in 2016 with five home games left.
 
Longwood and Campbell conclude the three-game set with a doubleheader. Steven Farkas (2-1) is expected to start game one for Longwood opposite of Grant Yost (5-2) for Campbell. In game two Luke Simpson (0-1) is Longwood's probable starter opposite of Michael Horrell (3-4) for Campbell. First pitch of game one is set for noon at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
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