FARMVILLE, Va. – Jack Schnell collected four RBI and his first career home run in a huge offensive day for Longwood as the Lancers churned out 13 runs on 10 hits to power past George Mason, 13-10, Wednesday night at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
Every starter for both Longwood (8-19) and George Mason (13-14) reached safely at least once in the ballgame. The two teams combined for 23 runs on 16 combined hits with 23 combined walks and 26 combined strikeouts.
 
The Lancers scored a season-high 13 runs in the win. Longwood also set or tied season highs in RBIs (12), doubles (4), triples (1), home runs (2), total bases (22), walks drawn (11), stolen bases (8), and strikeouts by Longwood pitchers (18).
 
"It was a hitter's day for sure with the wind blowing out, but we had good at-bats," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "We took our walks, we came up with some big hits and landed some big shots, and we needed every single one of them as it was a high-scoring affair. The guys did a great job at the plate."
 
Schnell finished the game 2-for-5 with four RBI, collecting a double and a home run in the high-scoring affair, plus also earned the silent treatment in the Lancer third base dugout.
 
"It was good to get the first one out of the way," Schnell said. "The ultimate adrenaline rush, for sure. My teammates pulled a little prank on me without giving me any high fives and then they bum-rushed me once I got in the dugout. It was awesome, a great feeling."
 
The home run was one of two runs scored by Schnell, who picked up his first multi-hit game and RBI in the win.
 
"I felt good at the plate," Schnell said. "I've been working on a lot of things with [assistant coaches Evan Wells and Daniel Wood] on staying back and barreling up baseballs. It felt good having it translate over into the game."
 
The freshman's big game was just one of many solid nights as Ryan Shull picked up a game-high three hits in a 3-for-4 night with a pair of doubles, Sammy Miller drew a career-high five walks and tied his career high with three stolen bases, Jawan McAllister knocked out his second career home run, and Antwaun Tucker picked up multiple RBI for the first time in 2018.
 
"I thought Sammy Miller had a heck of a day," Mau said. "Sammy had quality at-bats all over the place, as well as Ryan Shull and then Jawan McAllister, who also had a big home run. Overall I'm proud of the offensive output today. It's good to see us get everyone in the lineup going."
 
Longwood's offense was efficient in manufacturing runs in the win, swiping eight bags and executing a double steal twice, and turning six of its 11 walks drawn into runs.
 
"It's huge to wait for your pitch and then doing what you want with it," Schnell said. "When you don't get it we'll gladly take the walk."
 
"Plate discipline is huge," Mau said. "The zone was tight tonight and our guys understood that. We cashed in on some walks, taking those free passes and delivered a couple of big hits when we needed it."
 
Longwood battled from a deficit as large as five runs before a seven-run fourth inning gave the Lancers the lead for good.
 
During a night in which offense ruled the day John Gregory (1-0) pitched a spectacular outing to earn the win. The sophomore southpaw tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, holding George Mason to three base runners – one hit, one walk, and one hit batter – with a career-high nine strikeouts.
 
"That was huge in a double midweek situation where pitching is a little thin," Mau said of Gregory, who also pitched 1.1 innings Tuesday. "We needed someone to step up and John did an outstanding job tonight. He challenged the zone and gave us what we needed."
 
Gregory set his career high with his 4.1 innings of work during a second consecutive staff day for the Lancers. The left-hander from Mechanicsville, Va., worked his third scoreless outing of the season to provide the Lancers a split between the two midweek games at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
"It felt great earning the win today," Gregory said. "All my pitches were working and all my teammates were behind me to boost my confidence. Overall it was a great team win."
 
Gregory entered the game with the potential tying runs on base and the potential go-ahead runner on in the top of the fifth. With runners at first and second with two outs in the inning Gregory got a strikeout looking to end the threat.
 
"After the first batter, when I came in for my second inning, I really got into a rhythm," Gregory said. "All my off-speed pitches were working, which was key in today's outing. My teammates really pushed me through this and it boosts my confidence a lot."
 
"My message to him was give us what you can," Mau said. "He gave us more than we thought he had in the tank. That was huge for us and we needed that win."
 
Gregory capped off his night by retiring the final eight hitters he faced with six of his nine strikeouts in that stretch and struck out the side in the ninth inning, the final on a called third strike, to seal the victory.
 
"It was pretty exciting to close it out like that," Gregory said. "It got me really pumped up and everyone else pumped up, too. It was a lot of fun being out there."
 
Michael Yuille (0-1) took the loss for George Mason after allowing three runs on two hits and one walk, failing to record an out in Longwood's seven-run fourth.
 
The two teams combined to use 12 pitchers, three by Longwood and nine by George Mason. Gregory took the Lancers the final 4.1 innings after Zach Potojecki and Jon Peterson each lasted 2.1 innings. Potojecki struck out six batters and Peterson racked up three punchouts.
 
At the plate between the last two games the Lancers have scored 19 runs on 21 hits and 17 walks drawn. The Lancers have outhit their opponent in consecutive games for the first time this season.
 
"It's awesome scoring 19 runs in that stretch," Schnell said. "I think we're getting hot at the right time going into a huge series this weekend against Radford."
 
The Lancers got the scoring started in the home half of the first inning. Miller walked to start the frame and with one out Nate Blakeney walked. One batter later Schnell crushed a homer to right-center to give the Lancers a 3-0 lead.
 
"That was a great spark to start us," Mau said. "He took some really good swings today."
 
In the top of the second a two-out rally for George Mason turned into a pair of runs. After a pair of strikeouts in the frame a two-out single by Michael Smith and walks by Alejandro Aponte and Frank Sturek loaded the bases. Daniel Brooks worked a full count and drew a walk to force in a run for George Mason. In the next plate appearance Logan Driscoll worked a 3-2 count before drawing a walk to cut the Lancer lead to 3-2.
 
George Mason took the lead in the third inning after loading the bases again. With the bags clear and one out Garrett Driscoll, Tim Quinn, and Smith each walked to load the bases. Aponte hit a blooper into shallow left field that dropped in for a single, bringing in Driscoll and Quinn. The next batter, Brooks, drove in a run and reached on a fielder's choice. Logan Driscoll finished off the rally with a three-run homer the opposite way to left, making it an 8-3 George Mason lead.
 
The Lancers got a pair back in the home half of the third. A two-out double by Shull down the right field line got the inning started and McAllister followed up with a two-run blast to left, his second career home run, to cut the deficit to 8-5.
 
After George Mason added to its lead to get to a 9-5 advantage in the top of the fourth, Longwood rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. After Miller and Justin Mitchell each walked with one out, the Lancers pulled off the double steal to place the runners at second and third. Blakeney then drove in a run with an RBI ground out to short. The next batter, Schnell, doubled to left to bring in Mitchell and pick up his fourth RBI of the game, cutting the Lancer deficit to 9-7. Shull followed with a double to center to drive in Schnell and make it a one-run game.
 
The Lancers weren't satisfied in just making it a game again. Instead Longwood turned a big deficit into a lead.
 
After Shull moved to third on a wild pitch, a second wild pitch plated Shull to tie the game at nine. McAllister walked on the wild pitch and then moved to third on a hit-and-run executed by Nathan Iskowitz. The next batter, Eli Mercado, singled to shortstop to bring in McAllister, plating the go-ahead run. Antwaun Tucker followed up with a two-run triple to left-center to up the lead to 12-9. After Mitchell was hit by pitch to load the bases the Lancers finally ended the inning in the ensuing at-bat, scoring seven runs on five hits in the frame.
 
George Mason scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth to cut the Longwood lead to 12-10.
 
Longwood got on the board again in the home half of the sixth. Tucker and Miller each walked to start the frame. After the Lancers pulled off a second double steal in the game, Mitchell brought in a run on an RBI ground out to second, upping the lead to 13-10.
 
Longwood returns to action Friday when the Lancers conclude their five-game homestand against in-state Big South rival Radford with a weekend set. The Lancers and Highlanders begin the series Friday with game one aired on radio locally on 92.9 FM WVHL Farmville. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
#GoWood