LYNCHBURG, Va. – Despite a combined 5.2 innings with no earned runs allowed by the Lancer bullpen, an error in the 11th inning ended Longwood's bid at a series win, 5-4, in the rubber match with Liberty Sunday at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
 
Longwood (14-28, 7-14 Big South) hung tough with Liberty (26-16, 14-7 Big South) throughout the weekend as all three games were decided in the eighth inning or later, but Brady Heid scored the series-winning run for Liberty in extras of game three.
 
"We played very hard and I am so proud of the fight we showed again today," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "It was a great game despite the outcome not going our way."
 
Eric Harp, John Gregory, and Michael Catlin dominated Liberty hitters as the trio of Lancer relievers held the Flames to two hits with seven combined strikeouts across 5.2 frames after Tyler Morgan received no decision for his 5.0 innings of work and three earned runs allowed.
 
"I thought we pitched very well and our bullpen was spectacular," Mau said. "Gregory was electric and gave us several chances to win the game."
 
Catlin (3-5) was tagged with the tough-luck loss, charged with the game-ending run, which was the result of two errors in the final frame. Catlin tossed 1.0 inning with one unearned run allowed on one intentional walk and one strikeout.
 
Brady Stamper (3-2) was credited with the win, holding Longwood off the board with one hit allowed in 2.0 scoreless frames in the 10th and 11th innings.
 
After Morgan's solid start, Longwood handed the ball to Harp, who struck out one hitter and allowed one hit and two walks in 1.1 scoreless frames.
 
The next man out of the bullpen for Longwood was Gregory, who was stellar with 3.1 scoreless innings of work, allowing one infield single and one walk with five strikeouts in the outing. For the weekend Gregory held Liberty hitters to three hits and one walk in 5.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
 
At the plate Grant Keller finished his hot April in style. Keller picked up an RBI single to extend his hitting streak to a team-high five and extended his reached base streak to a career-best 12, the second-longest active streak behind Justin Mitchell's 14. In April Keller hit .392 (20-for-51) with eight RBI and four doubles in 15 games, 12 starts, across Longwood's 17-game month.
 
Liberty jumped out to a lead in the home half of the first. D.J. Artis singled back up the middle on the first pitch of the frame. After Artis stole second, he then stole third and scored on a throwing error as the throw to third bounded into left field.
 
The Lancers answered back in the top of the second with a one-out rally. Mac McCafferty was hit by pitch on a two-strike offering and Joey Mendez followed with a single to left. Antwaun Tucker fought back from 0-2 and came through with a ground-rule double to left, plating McCafferty to tie the game. The next batter was Ryan Shull, who gave Longwood a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to center.
 
The Flames took advantage of Longwood mistakes in the home half of the second to get back on the board. Jonathan Embry started the frame with a high pop up to shallow center that dropped in between three fielders as the ball was lost in the sun. Two batters later with Embry at second, who was credited with a double, Embry moved to third on a ground ball off the bat of Cam Locklear that was bobbled for an error. With runners on the corners and one out Brandon Rohrer singled through the right side to tie the game at two. Locklear, who moved to third on the single, scored an unearned run on a balk.
 
Liberty extended the lead with a run in the fifth, making it a 4-2 Flames advantage.
 
The Lancers were held off the board until the eighth, when Longwood made its move. Tyler Mahone, in the game as a pinch hitter, singled to start the frame and picked up his first career knock. The freshman was pinch ran for by Scott Carter as the Lancers brought the tying run to the plate. After Carter stole second with one out, Mitchell walked, putting the tying run on and extending Mitchell's reached base streak to 14 games. Keller followed with an RBI single through the left side, cutting the deficit in half. Two batters later Mac McCafferty came up clutch with an RBI single to left, tying the game at four.
 
"Offensively we struggled to get going early, but came up with big hits late to send us to extra innings," Mau said.
 
The game remained tied at four into extras. Each team threatened multiple times in extras, but Liberty took the walk-off win in inning number 11.
 
Brady Highfill hit a high drive to left field to start the final inning, reaching on a two-base error. Highfill was pinch ran for by Heid, who moved to second base on a wild pitch. Two batters later with one out, Liberty catcher Tre Todd was intentionally walked to put a pair on with one out. After a fielder's choice put runners at the corners with two outs, a second error in the inning and fourth in the game for Longwood allowed Heid to score the winning run.
 
"This one is going to sting for a while," Mau said. "A few defensive miscues throughout the day made this a much closer game than it should have been. We are playing our best baseball of the season and once we limit some of our mistakes, I believe we can make a strong push down the home stretch."
 
Longwood returns to the field Tuesday for its final game of an 18-game stretch of games all in the Commonwealth as the Lancers open May with a midweek game at Norfolk State. First pitch at Norfolk State is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday.
 
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