FARMVILLE, Va. – A three-hit day from Presbyterian leadoff man Glen Casaceli, including the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth inning, spoiled a gem by Longwood starter Steven Farkas as the Blue Hose took the game, 2-1, Friday night at Buddy Bolding Stadium. 

After Nick Guimbarda led off the top of the ninth with a triple, Casaceli delivered a two-out base hit back up the middle to plate the winning-run to seal the win for Presbyterian.
 
With the win, Presbyterian (19-18, 7-4 Big South) forces a rubber match with Longwood (12-21, 4-7 Big South), set for Saturday afternoon.

Farkas gave Longwood a strong start as he went 7.0 innings with 11 strikeouts, walking just one man and allowing four hits for his second-straight quality start, both coming as a no-decisions for the sophomore southpaw.
 
"Steven was the best he's looked all year," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "Working back from that injury we still had him on somewhat of a pitch count, but obviously we took him pretty deep in the ballgame."
 
Farkas tossed a season-high 107 pitches, 69 for strikes, and retired the final seven hitters he faced. Farkas didn't allow a runner past second base in the outing.
 
"He did a great job and he gave us everything he had," Mau said. "It was a stellar performance, but unfortunately we couldn't give him enough run support tonight."
 
The quality start was the second of the weekend for the Lancers, who have gotten 16.0 innings with one unearned run allowed and 24 strikeouts between Farkas' performance and Cody Wager's complete game win Thursday. Farkas struck out five batters in the first six outs recorded and finished the night with 11 punchouts, one shy of his career-best 12 against Savannah State in 2016.

Junior shortstop Michael Osinski had the only multi-hit day to lead the Lancers at the plate, doubling twice in his first two at-bats and coming around to score the lone Lancer run of the night. Osinski went 2-for-4 with those doubles, putting his batting average back above .300 for the season at .301.

Reliever Eric Miles (4-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen with 2.2 innings of scoreless ball, striking out three, walking one, and surrendering just one hit. Junior lefty Michael Catlin (1-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up the tying and go-ahead runs in 2.0 innings of work, striking out three batters. Ryan Hedrick closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his team-leading sixth save of the season.
 
"I thought we had an opportunity to get [Presbyterian starter Tanner Chock] out of the game early and we let him hang around too long," Mau said. "That allowed them to go to their better back-end arms. We should have been in the bullpen a little earlier. Chock did a good job of getting out of jam after jam after jam and unfortunately that came back to get us."
 
Chock received no decision in his start for Presbyterian, holding Longwood to one unearned run on six hits with five walks and two hit batters. Chock needed 104 pitches to get through 5.1 innings of work.
 
In the loss the Lancers reached safely 16 times in the game on eight hits, six walks, and two hit batters.
 
"I thought we did a great job of getting runners on and unfortunately we just couldn't get the big hit tonight," Mau said. "Too many missed opportunities. We left a lot of guys on base. Against a very good team like that you have to take advantage of those opportunities, but unfortunately we couldn't get that big hit when we needed it.
 
Longwood stranded 13 runners in the game, but the Lancers were able to break through for a run in the third inning.
 
Osinski doubled to left to start the home half of the third. After Joey Mendez reached on a fielding error that allowed Osinski to advance to third, a passed ball brought Osinski home. Longwood loaded the bases in the next three at-bats with a pair of Lancers hit by pitch, but a double play ended the Lancer rally.
 
Longwood loaded the bases in each of the first three innings, but only managed the one unearned run in that stretch.
 
Presbyterian tied the game in the eighth inning. Catlin struck out Tyler Weyenburg with one out in the inning, but a wild pitch allowed Weyenburg to reach with. Two batters later A.J. Priaulx singled, advancing Weyenberg to third. T.J. Richardson singled home Weyenberg to tie the game at one on a two-out single.
 
After the Lancers were retired in order, Presbyterian took the lead in the ninth. Guimbarda tripled into the right-center field gap to start the inning. Longwood opted to pull in Antwaun Tucker from left field to play as a fifth infielder.
 
Catlin struck out Andrew Bladt, leaving Guimbarda at third with one out in the ninth. Brett Auckland then grounded out to Tucker, who was playing on the first base side of the bag at second. Thanks to the five-infielder alignment, the Lancers nearly pulled off the improbable, attempting to strand a runner at third after reaching with one out, but Casaceli's single up the middle won the day for Presbyterian.
 
Longwood and Presbyterian wrap up the three-game set Saturday. Junior right-hander Zach Potojecki (2-4, 4.41 ERA) is expected to get the start for the Lancers opposite of Presbyterian senior lefty Hayden Deal (3-3, 4.11 ERA). First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Buddy Bolding Stadium.

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