FARMVILLE, VA. – Michael Osinski hit the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning to lead Longwood to a 2-1 win in the opening game of a weekend series against UNC Asheville Saturday afternoon at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
With the game tied at one and two outs in the home half of the eighth inning, Osinski swung at the first offering in the at-bat and came up with a single that plated Janos Briscoe from second base and gave Longwood (26-20, 10-9 Big South) its first lead of the game. With the win against Asheville (15-28, 5-11 Big South) the Lancers improved to 19-7 at home and 11-3 in games decided by one run.
 
"I'm feeling good at the plate right now and I'd just like to keep it going," Osinski said. "I'm seeing the ball pretty well and in that last at-bat I really locked in."
 
The go-ahead hit by Osinski was the 11th time this season Longwood has scored the winning run in the eighth inning or later. The Lancers also improved to 16-11 in games when the opposing team scored first and the team has 20 wins when trailing at any point in the game.
 
"We are very confident in our ability to play well in the back third of games," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "We practice back-third games and we scrimmage back-third only games, all knowing games are won and lost late in the game. It helps our guys handle the high-pressure situations, to make pitches, make plays, to defend, and to execute. All the little things are magnified at the end of games and I think that preparation has absolutely paid off this year."
 
Ryan Jones (3-2) picked up the win for Longwood after 3.0 spotless innings out of the bullpen. Jones struck out four batters in his three perfect innings and recorded his fifth outing of the year with no baserunners allowed. The junior right-hander has also logged seven hitless outings, most on the team. Eric Whitecavage (0-2) took the loss after allowing the winning run to score in the eighth inning.
 
"That was unbelievable what the bullpen did today," Mau said. "The job that Michael Catlin did with the bases loaded to not only minimize the damage, but to stop it completely was really impressive. He showed an unbelievable amount of composure. Then when he got into trouble, Ryan Jones does the same exact thing he's done all year long by stranding the runners and allowing us to make a push in the back third of the ballgame."
 
Catlin stepped into the game with Longwood down 1-0 to Asheville, the bases loaded for the Bulldogs, and no one out in the fifth inning. Catlin picked up three outs to leave the bases loaded and kept the Lancers within one. Catlin and Jones retired 15 of 18 batters faced and combined allowed just one hit. The two bullpen arms combined to strand five inherited runners. Jones has stranded 26 inherited runners, best on the team.
 
"It's been a pretty good feeling knowing we have some matchup options in the bullpen," Mau said. "If the starter doesn't give you the quality start and if we give him the hook early enough, we can still be in the ballgame and still get the win, especially with our tendency for late-inning heroics."
 
Catlin came on in relief of Travis Burnette, who received no decision in the Lancer win. Burnette, Longwood's senior captain, tossed four innings with one run allowed on four hits and five walks with four strikeouts. Longwood improved to 11-1 in games started by Burnette Saturday was the right-hander's final scheduled home start.
 
Longwood trailed 1-0 entering the home half of the seventh inning. Asheville's starter, Jordan Carr, had retired nine consecutive batters when Brandon Harvell hit a two-out game-tying solo home run to left field, his first home run of the season. Carr received no decision after allowing just one run in 7.0 innings of work.
 
The Lancers took the lead in the home half of the eighth, sparked by a lead-off walk by Briscoe. In the game as a pinch hitter, Briscoe drew a walk after battling back from a 1-2 count. Sammy Miller put down a sacrifice bunt to get Briscoe into scoring position ahead of Osinski's two-out game-winning single.
 
"For [Harvell] to step up and pump one like he did, I thought it woke up our bats and put a jolt of confidence in our offense when we needed it the most," Mau said. "Osinski picked us up in a big way with a big-time two-out RBI and deliver the game winner."
 
The Lancers have won 11 consecutive games to start a weekend series with the only loss coming in the first game of the season at East Carolina. Longwood can clinch a series win with a victory Sunday. The Lancers have won five of seven weekend series at home.
 
"It's nice to win game one, but we have to win the series," Mau said. "We have to come out with a little better focus tomorrow and get after it a little earlier in the game."
 
Longwood plays game two of its three-game set with Asheville Sunday. Before the game, Longwood will honor its five-player senior class of Burnette, C.J. Roth, Connar Bastaich, Allen Ellis, and Colton Konvicka. Luke Simpson (0-3) is expected to get the start opposite of Asheville right-hander Danny Wilson (2-2). First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Buddy Bolding Stadium.

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