FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood split its doubleheader against the University at Albany with an 11-3 loss in game one and an 11-6 win in game two Saturday afternoon at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
UAlbany (1-1) opened its season with a big first game offensively, lacing 14 hits against Longwood (2-5) as the Lancers were outhit 14-10 and committed four errors in the loss. In the win Longwood picked up a season-high 11 hits and put together a seven-run second inning, the biggest single-inning rally of the year.
 
"The guys did a good job moving on from a poor game one and getting a win here at home in game two," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said.
 
Game One, L 11-3
 
Terry Dugdale (1-0) picked up the win for UAlbany in game one after holding Longwood to one run in 1.1 innings out of the bullpen. Cody Wager (0-2) was hit with the loss after giving up six runs, five earned, on seven hits in 2.0 innings with two strikeouts to one walk.
 
Travis Collins led the way offensively for the Great Danes, pacing the team with three RBI in a 2-for-4 game. The eight-hitter hit a bases-clearing, three-run triple in the third inning to break open the game for UAlbany. Collins' triple gave UAlbany a 6-1 lead in the wire-to-wire win. Five players put together multi-hit days for UAlbany.
 
In the loss Longwood picked up what was at the time a season-high 10 hits. Justin Mitchell stayed hot in the game, pacing the Lancers with a 3-for-4 game and hitting a pair of home runs.
 
"It felt good getting my first two at Longwood," Mitchell said. "I really felt like I needed to get at least one off my chest and I'm happy with the two. It felt good, it just felt good."
 
The two-homer day was the first for a Lancer since Alex Lewis had a pair of blasts at Morehead State on March 9, 2016.
 
"Mitchell has been on fire all week," Mau said. "He's been putting some great swings on it. I'm glad to see him lose a couple tonight."
 
Mitchell continued his torrid pace to start the season as he's reached safely in all seven games and has an on-base percentage of .515 to begin the year.
 
In addition to Mitchell's multi-hit effort in game one, Brandon Harvell and Antwaun Tucker were each 2-for-4 in the loss.
 
With the forecast calling for heavy rain showers, the Lancers and UAlbany moved the start of their doubleheader up to 10 a.m. from the original scheduled time of noon and waited until 3:15 p.m. for the start of the second game.
 
Game Two, W 11-6
 
The Lancers bounced back in game two with a huge effort by the offense, picking up season highs with 11 hits and 11 runs. Three Lancers had multi-hit games, led by a 2-for-5 game and three RBI by Michael Osinski, his team-leading fourth multi-hit game. Lewis helped shoulder the load, driving in a pair of runs in a 3-for-3 game that included his first two career triples.
 
"It was good to put up a big number early, which took some pressure off us," Mau said. "We still need to get some better starting pitching going so we can get things back on track on the mound."
 
Michael Catlin (1-0) was the winning pitcher after tossing 4.1 scoreless innings in relief as he entered in a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning and took the Lancers the rest of the way, allowing just one hit with two walks and a pair of strikeouts. The junior left-hander has allowed just one run in 8.2 innings of work across a pair of appearances, both 4.1 innings in length out of the bullpen.
 
"Catlin has been outstanding for us this season," Mau said. "We need some more contributions like that from our pitching staff."
 
For UAlbany Kenny McLean (0-1) took the loss after allowing seven runs, all unearned, in 1.2 innings of work.
 
Longwood's seven-run rally in the second inning nearly failed to get off the ground.
 
With Lewis and Carlos Garrido on the bases Nate Blakeney reached on an error, a pop up misplayed by UAlbany's Collins, the second baseman. Two batters later with the bases loaded Sammy Miller singled up the middle to drive in a pair of runs. After Tucker walked Osinski ripped a two-run single through the left side to up Longwood's lead to 5-0. Longwood went on to score two more runs on a walk by Lewis with the bases loaded, followed by Garrido being hit by a pitch.
 
Lewis finished the day 4-for-8 after going 3-for-3 in game two, which included a pair of walks.
 
"Lewis got off to a bit of a slow start to the season, but he's really starting to pick it up as of late," Mau said. "He's put some really good swings on the baseball and showed off that speed of his on those triples."
 
After Osinski combined to go 2-for-9 between the two games and Mitchell's 3-for-8 day, the middle three hitters for the Lancers are all hitting better than .300. Osinski paces the group with a .379 average, followed by a .375 average for Mitchell, and .320 mark for Lewis.
 
Mitchell, a lefty who's hit in the four spot in-between Osinski and Lewis, has been a welcome addition to the Lancer lineup. The Grossmont Community College (Calif.) transfer has hit in the cleanup spot for the early part of the season and provided Longwood an added power threat between the two right-handed hitters.
 
"It's really important that I've gotten off to a good start, not just for me, but for the team," Mitchell said. "When I swing it well hopefully it gets contagious throughout the lineup and we can all keep it going."
 
Osinski continues to hit the ball well as the junior has picked up 11 hits and driven in 11 runs through the first week of the year, leading the Lancers in both categories.
 
"I've been seeing the ball well and I'm just trying to put good swings on it," Osinski said. "I'm just trying to keep it going and help us get some wins. We're feeling good after the win tonight and we just have to keep it rolling tomorrow."
 
The Lancers wrap up the series with a rubber match against UAlbany Sunday. Longwood senior righty Tyler Wirsu (0-1) is expected to get the start opposite of UAlbany senior right-hander J.T. Genovese (season debut).
 
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