BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Longwood racked up a season-high 17 hits, but fell, 4-3 in 10 innings, on Chandler Redmond's walk-off home run Saturday afternoon at John H. Moss Stadium.
Redmond hit the game-winning home run in the home half of the 10th inning to cap off a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Gardner-Webb (15-16, 4-4 Big South) takes the series against the Lancers (10-19, 3-5 Big South) with the win.
"We played really good baseball, but unfortunately came out on the wrong end again," Longwood head coach
Ryan Mau said. "Those days will happen from time to time and all we can do is trust that things will begin to turn around soon."
Wil Sellers (3-2) picked up the win on the walk-off and held Longwood off the board with 2.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and just one single allowed.
Eric Harp (0-1) took the loss, allowing the homer, the only base runner allowed in 1.0 inning of work. The Gardner-Webb bullpen tossed 4.0 combined innings of shutout ball, holding Longwood to four hits and combined for five strikeouts.
"Adversity will knock you down if you let it," Mau said. "We have been punched over and over again, but we continue to respond. We are close to turning this around and as long as we keep fighting, I like our chances to put it all together at the right time."
The five through eight hitters led the way for Gardner-Webb as Justin Kunz, Gage Parham, Redmond, and Mason Fox combined to go 10-for-19 with three of Gardner-Webb's four RBI.
The Lancers ripped the ball for 17 hits, outhitting the Runnin' Bulldogs for the second consecutive game in the series.
Brandon Harvell had another strong game at the plate, picking up four hits with a pair of RBI, extending his hitting streak to seven games.
"It is awesome to see Brandon swing the bat with such confidence during the last several games and get the results he is getting," Mau said.
During the streak Harvell is hitting .565 (13-for-23) with one home run, three doubles, eight RBI and now a pair of four-hit games in the seven-game span.
Five Lancers finished with multi-hit games in the loss.
Sammy Miller went 2-for-5 with a run scored, Harvell went 4-for-5,
Justin Mitchell and
Joey Mendez were each 3-for-5, while
Antwaun Tucker and
Ryan Shull each had two hits. Harvell, Mitchell, Mendez, and Shull all tied or set new career highs in hits.
"We had some really good at-bats from multiple spots in our lineup," Mau said. "The big thing we continue to lack is consistency from our 3-4-5 spots. We need to have a game when they all are producing and unfortunately we haven't gotten that yet."
Steven Farkas received no decision for the Lancers despite his first quality start of the season.
"Steven gave us a great performance in his first true start of the year," Mau said. "He has worked hard to get back from an injury and it is a big boost to our club to have him in the rotation again."
Farkas spun 6.0 innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts and one walk issued and eight hits allowed. Through his first five appearances of the season, Farkas has amassed 15.1 innings of work with 21 strikeouts, four walks, and posted a 1.17 ERA.
Bradley Hallman pitched well in the start for Gardner-Webb, also receiving no decision after allowing three runs in 6.0 innings of work on 13 hits.
Longwood put multiple base runners aboard in each of the first three innings of the game with five hits in the first three frames, but didn't break through for a run until the fourth inning, when the Lancers exploded for three runs on a two-out rally.
Mendez singled on a 1-2 pitch to start the frame and got into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Tucker. Two batters later Shull drove a two-out single up the middle to plate Mendez and give Longwood a 1-0 lead.
Miller then doubled into the left-center field gap, placing runners at second and third for Longwood. Harvell took advantage with a single back up the middle to plate Shull and Miller, giving Longwood a 3-0 lead.
Gardner-Webb cut into the lead with a run in the home half of the sixth inning. With a runner at second base and two outs, Kunz doubled to left field and brought in a run. Parham singled through the left side in the next at-bat. Kunz tried to score, but Tucker threw out Kunz at the plate to end the sixth.
The Runnin' Bulldogs brought the deficit to one on a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. Redmond doubled to start the home half of the seventh, advancing to third and scoring on fly outs in the next two at-bats.
Gardner-Webb threatened again in the eighth inning, putting a pair of runners on the corners with one out following two singles in the inning. Parham singled on a 2-0 offering to tie the game at three.
Longwood went down in order in the ninth and managed just a one-out single by Tucker in the 10th. Longwood had multiple base runners reach in each of the first seven innings before being held to two hits over the final three frames.
The Lancers hit .188 (3-for-16) with runners in scoring position on the game, all coming in the three-run fourth inning.
Redmond stepped to the plate for Gardner-Webb with the bases clear and two outs in the 10th. The sophomore belted an 0-2 pitch over the right field wall to end the game.
Longwood wraps up its three-game set at Gardner-Webb Sunday afternoon. Junior right-hander
Zach Potojecki (2-3) is expected to get the start for the Lancers, opposite of Fox (0-0), a sophomore righty in his first collegiate start for Gardner-Webb. First pitch of the series finale is set for 2 p.m. at John H. Moss Stadium.
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