FARMVILLE, Va. – The Lancers battled in a couple of hotly-contested ballgames against Radford, taking the front end of a doubleheader 4-3 in 10 innings, before dropping the second game and rubber match of the series by a 5-4 final in the 10th inning Sunday at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
After the Lancers (9-21, 3-9 Big South) walked off to win in the first half of 20 innings Sunday, Radford (12-19, 4-8 Big South) took the second game by scoring a single run in the top of the 10th of game two.
 
"I thought the energy was good, I thought the focus was really good all day, but we just came up a little short in game two," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "Unfortunately they executed a perfect squeeze to take the lead in the 10th."
 
The two games featured solid pitching as no starter allowed more than three earned runs, though none of the four starting pitchers between the two games received a decision. The six Lancer pitchers used held Radford to eight runs, five earned, between the two games.
 
"Overall our pitching did a really great job all day long," Mau said. "We just could have used one more big hit in game two."
 
Nate Blakeney was the game one hero after coming through with an RBI with the bases loaded in extras. The sophomore infielder plated a run by beating out a fielder's choice to seal the 4-3 comeback walk-off victory.
 
In the second game mistakes plagued the Lancers as three of Radford's five runs were unearned. With the doubleheader split Radford takes the series, having won Friday's series opener.
 
The Lancers continue their run of 18 consecutive games in the state of Virginia at VMI Tuesday for the second meeting between the two teams this season. Tuesday's game will air on ESPN3 as a late addition to the Keydets' broadcast schedule. First pitch at VMI is set for 6 p.m. at Gray-Minor Stadium.
 
Longwood 4, Radford 3 F/10
 
Each starter put forth a quality start and stymied the offenses in a pitcher's duel, but neither starting pitcher received a decision as the Lancers rallied from three down in the game and walked off in the 10th inning, 4-3.
 
Blakeney picked up his third career walk-off RBI and second of the season to send the Lancers to a game one victory. With the bases loaded and one out, Blakeney reached on a fielder's choice to win it.
 
"Grant Keller started us with a great swing on it and then we executed all inning from Antwaun Tucker's sacrifice to Sammy Miller's hit and run," Mau said. "That allowed Mo Blakeney hit a hard ground ball to win the game on a fielder's choice."
 
Michael Catlin (3-2) collected the win after getting the Lancers out of a two-on, two-out jam in the top of the 10th, retiring the only hitter he faced.
 
Radford relief pitcher Trey Alderman (0-3) suffered the loss, allowing one unearned run in 1.2 relief innings, giving up the winning rally in the bottom of the 10th.
 
Radford starter Austin Ross was perfect through his first four innings of work and took a no-hitter into the seventh before the Lancers got to the senior for a pair of runs. Ross tossed 6.2 innings and held the Lancers to two runs, one earned, on one hit and two walks with six strikeouts.
 
After allowing three runs in the first two innings Longwood starter Cody Boydstun settled in and made it a quality start despite receiving no decision. It was the third quality start of the season for Boydstun.
 
"Boydstun was not sharp early on and that's attributed to what's been going on with his injury in the last couple of weeks," Mau said. "I thought as the game went on he started to find his rhythm and started getting sharper. He did a great job getting deep into the game and letting our bullpen go to work."
 
Boydstun had been day-to-day with an injury each of the last two weekends after a comebacker hit him at Winthrop. The junior right-hander and converted bullpen arm tossed 7.0 innings of three-run ball, scattering six hits and six walks across the outing and collected four strikeouts in game one.
 
The next pitcher for Longwood was Tommy Green, who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, spreading out two hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts in his outing to bridge the gap between Boydstun and Catlin.
 
"Tommy Green was outstanding," Mau said. "Michael Catlin then came in and made quick work of his hitter."
 
Radford got its offense going in the top of the first inning. Kyle Butler singled to right and Colby Higgerson walked on five pitches to start the inning, giving Radford a pair of runners with no outs. Two batters later, after a wild pitch advanced the runners, Matt Roth picked up his seventh RBI of the series with an RBI ground out to third to make it 1-0 Highlanders.
 
The Lancers put together a huge defensive inning in the top of the second, saving at least one run with two incredible defensive plays by senior fielders. With Straton Padaras at the plate to start the frame, the Radford catcher hit a looping liner the other way, pegged for right field, but Longwood first baseman Justin Mitchell leaped to make the grab and take away a hit. In the next at-bat Radford designated hitter Will Harless hit a smash to the right-center field gap, but Ryan Shull tracked back to the warning track to take away extra bases.
 
Unfortunately a pair of walks kept the second inning going for Radford and the Highlanders took advantage. After Carlin Christian and Kyle Butler worked two-out walks Higgerson tripled to right, bringing in both runners and upping the Radford lead to 3-0.
 
Longwood again played solid defense to save more runs in the top of the fourth. Harless doubled to start the frame and Christian reached on a bunt single to give Radford runners on the corners with no outs. After a pop out to short for the first out, Higgerson tried to put down a bunt to bring in Harless from third, but the squeeze attempt went right in front of the mound and Boydstun snuffed out the play, flipping to Mac McCafferty at the plate for the second out. Boydstun took care of the final out, grabbing a towering pop out in foul territory by third base to keep Radford off the board in the inning.
 
The Lancers finally got on the board with their first hit, coming in the bottom of the seventh inning. After Jack Schnell walked with two outs, reaching for a second time in the game, Shull tripled to right-center to bring in the run and cut the deficit to 3-1. After Jawan McAllister was hit by pitch in the next plate appearance, McAllister stole second and a throwing error on the steal attempt allowed Shull to score from third to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
 
The captain made his mark in the bottom of the eighth. Up with the bases clear and two down in the bottom of the eighth Miller got the count to 2-1 and crushed the offering to left, but the bid for extra bases landed foul. Miller turned on the next pitch and sent it over the left field wall for his first career home run, tying the game at three.
 
"Sammy's swing was so big for us right there," Mau said. "We had nothing going and needed one. I'm glad to see him grab his first on a huge, huge swing by him."
 
After the teams traded zeroes in a scoreless ninth inning and Longwood held Radford off the board again in the top of the 10th, the Lancers rallied to win in the bottom of the frame.
 
Keller singled to right to start the rally, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tucker, who reached on a throwing error by the pitcher. With the runners moving on the pitch in the ensuing at-bat, Miller grounded out on a high chopper to third to move up both runners. The Highlanders then opted to intentionally walk Justin Mitchell and face Blakeney with the bases loaded and one out. Blakeney took advantage of the bases-loaded situation, beating out a potential doubleplay ball, plating pinch runner Scott Carter to win the game and force a rubber match in the series in the second game of the doubleheader.
 
Radford 5, Longwood 4 F/10
 
Radford came back with an extra-inning victory of its own, plating the winning run on a squeeze play in the top of the 10th inning to down the Lancers, 5-4, and take the series two games to one.
 
Higgerson scored the winning run from third base on a squeeze play off the bat of Harless to sneak Radford past the Lancers in the series finale.
 
The rally made Cameron Fritz (1-0) a winner for the first time this season as the right-handed reliever held the Lancers scoreless in 1.2 innings of work. Kyle Palmer picked up his first save after the Lancers couldn't plate the potential tying run from third base in their final at-bat of the nightcap of Sunday's twin bill.
 
Tyler Morgan worked into the fifth inning in his return from a two-week layoff due to an injury, but received no decision. Morgan held Radford to three runs, one earned, on three hits and four walks with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work.
 
"I thought Morgan was just OK today," Mau said. "He battled and didn't have his normal fastball command, but he competed and gave us an opportunity."
 
After Morgan's start the Lancers turned the ball to the bullpen, which collectively held Radford to two runs, one earned, in the next 5.2 innings.
 
Catlin went back out after his game one win and tossed 1.1 scoreless innings, followed by Gregory who put forth 2.0 innings of one-run ball before Harp took the Lancers the rest of the way.
 
"Catlin going twice in the same day was tough and I thought he struggled a little bit to command the baseball," Mau said. "John Gregory came in a big situation and got a huge punchout for us. He did a really good job. Eric Harp came in and I thought he threw some of the best I've seen him this season."
 
Longwood didn't wait as long as in the first game to grab a lead in game two, scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Miller doubled to left-center field, hustling on a shallow liner to give the Lancers a lead-off extra-base hit. Two batters later, after a balk advanced Miller, the senior center fielder scored on a wild pitch.
 
Radford got the run back and took the lead in the top of the third. Garrett Matheny reached on an error to start the frame and scored in the ensuing at-bat as Carlin Christian doubled off the wall in left to tie the game at one. After Butler was hit by pitch to give Radford had a pair of runners aboard with no outs, a sacrifice bunt by Higgerson and sacrifice fly by Spencer Horwitz gave Radford a 2-1 lead.
 
The Highlanders added to their lead in the top of the fifth. After a lead-off double by Butler and Higgerson walked, a fielder's choice put runners at the corners with one out. In the middle of Roth's at-bat Butler stole home on a throw from the plate back to the mound, making it 3-1 Radford.
 
After Radford added to the lead on an unearned run in the top of the eighth to make it 4-1, the Lancers looked for a rally in the final two innings to change the game and got that rally in the home half of the eighth. After Miller was hit by pitch to begin the inning Mitchell unloaded on a 1-0 offering to right, blasting out his second home run of the season on a ball that was a no-doubter off the bat.
 
"We gave away a couple runs early on some defensive mistakes, but Justin's swing was huge to spark that offensive run we had in the eighth and extend the game," Mau said.
 
The bottom of the eighth continued as Blakeney was hit by pitch in the next plate appearance, placing the tying run at first with no outs. Blakeney stole second to get into scoring position and was still at second when Shull drew a one-out walk. McAllister came to the plate and battled before flying out to center. Both runners tagged and the throw from center went to third, Blakeney just beating the throw. Radford's third baseman, Roth, then threw to second to try to get Shull – who tagged late – but the throw was wide of the bag, allowing Blakeney to score an unearned run that tied the game at four.
 
In the bottom of the ninth the team captain went to work. Miller reached on a two-out error and then stole his way around the bags, taking second and third. After Mitchell was intentionally walked Blakeney had another chance to win it on a walk-off, but grounded out to end the ninth.
 
Radford executed in the next half inning to plate the winning run. Higgerson singled and moved to third when Horwitz executed on a hit and run as the lefty placed a single the opposite way through the left side. Two batters later with runners at the corners and two outs a squeeze bunt from Harless brought in Higgerson, who just beat out a high flip to the plate.
 
The Lancers wouldn't go away quietly into the night, getting the potential tying run 90 feet away in the last of inning number 10 for the game, 20 for the day. After consecutive ground outs to second base, McAllister hit a high pop up to no-man's land in shallow right-center field and motored to second base for a hustle double. McAllister then stole third base to give the Lancers several ways to tie the game, but a ground out ended the game.
 
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