BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Danny Sullivan hit a pair of two-run home runs in the late innings as Gardner-Webb topped Longwood, 7-2, and clinched a three-game sweep Sunday afternoon at John H. Moss Stadium.
Sullivan was 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in the win for Gardner-Webb (16-16, 5-4 Big South). The loss for Longwood (10-20, 3-6 Big South) is the first three-game sweep of the Lancers this season.
"This was a disappointing weekend," Longwood head coach
Ryan Mau said. "We put ourselves in a tough position and will have an uphill battle the rest of the way."
Landon Mitchell (3-2) picked up the win, spinning 4.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and just two hits allowed in relief of Mason Fox, who tossed 2.1 innings of two-run ball in his first collegiate start. Cooper Devine nailed down the save, his first, with 2.1 scoreless innings and just one hit allowed, entering the game with Gardner-Webb up by two.
Zach Potojecki (2-4) took the loss for Longwood, but pitched well for the Lancers. Potojecki struck out 10 batters in 6.0 innings of work with no walks allowed and five hits surrendered.
"Zach was really good today, but made a one-pitch mistake to Sullivan and he put a good swing on it," Mau said.
Potojecki gave up four runs, but gave up just one run in his first 5.0 innings of work. Potojecki allowed two home runs, the second Sullivan's first two-run homer.
Antwaun Tucker went 3-for-4 to lead the Lancers at the plate. Harvell and Miller each went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. Miller upped his batting average to a team-high .320, while Harvell extended his hitting streak to eight games. Harvell is hitting .500 (15-for-30) with one home run, four doubles, eight RBI, and a pair of walks during the streak.
Longwood and Gardner-Webb were tied in hits with nine each Sunday. The Lancers outhit the Runnin' Bulldogs 35-29 in the three games.
"All weekend we put hits on the board, but we couldn't cash in with runners in scoring position," Mau said. "Although Gardner-Webb had less scoring chances, the difference was their big hitters stepped up and delivered in the clutch."
After picking up a season-high 17 hits Saturday, the Lancers came out swinging Sunday with a run scored on three straight singles.
Sammy Miller singled up the middle and
Brandon Harvell singled into center to place a pair on with no outs.
Michael Osinski put Longwood on the board with a sharp single into left field, allowing Miller to motor home and score.
Gardner-Webb wasted no time tying the game. With two outs in the bottom of the first Justin Kunz hit an opposite-field home run to tie the game at one.
The Lancers again put three base runners aboard in the second inning, but failed to scratch across a run.
Nate Blakeney reached on a one-out infield single, followed by a pair of two-out walks by Miller and Harvell to load the bases, but Longwood left the bases loaded.
Longwood got back on the board in the third inning.
Justin Mitchell doubled to start the inning, the third straight in which a man got into scoring position for the Lancers. Two batters later
Carlos Garrido singled to right and plated Mitchell.
Gardner-Webb took the lead in the sixth. Paul Trick singled into left field to start the frame and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mickey Dugan. Two batters later, Colin Thacker roped a two-out double to left to tie the game at two. Sullivan homered to left in the next at-bat to put Gardner-Webb ahead, 4-2.
The Runnin' Bulldogs added an unearned run in the seventh to push their advantage to three runs.
In the eighth inning Gardner-Webb opened up the game with another multi-run frame. Thacker singled to right and scored on a two-run home run by Sullivan, his second homer of the day.
With the loss Gardner-Webb sweeps the Lancers, taking an 8-7 lead in the all-time series. Longwood is in last place in the Big South with the sweep, but sits just four games out of first place and only one and one-half games back of the eighth spot in the Big South.
Longwood plays 15 of its next 17 games at home to wrap up the home schedule, which includes the next four weekend series played at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
The Lancers return to action Tuesday to complete a home-and-home series with N.C. Central. Longwood won at N.C. Central, 5-3, on March 28. First pitch Tuesday is set for 6 p.m. at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
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