HONOLULU, Hawaii – Longwood hit multiple homers in a game for the first time this season and tied a season-high with eight hits, but Hawaii answered every Lancer rally in an 8-4 win. The Rainbow Warriors (6-5) compiled 11 hits and took advantage errors on Sunday afternoon.
 
Hunter Gilliam thumped his home run over the right field wall in the second inning to take Longwood to an early 1-0 lead. It's the third time the Lancers (3-8) have struck first in the series. It was Gilliam's second homer of the year. Meanwhile, De'Andre Pitts swatted a two-run blast out to right field in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 5-4 as the two sides traded runs back and forth in the middle of the game.
 
"A few guys got going today with Pitts and [Michael] Peterson putting great swings on it," said Longwood head coach Ryan Mau. "Gilliam continues to swing it, delivering a big blow to get us on the board early on."
 
After Gilliam's homer, Hawaii responded with runs in three straight innings. A three-run third inning put the Rainbow Warriors up 3-1, and Hawaii extended the lead to 4-1 with a two-out RBI single by Maaki Yamazaki in the fourth. An error by Peterson in left field allowed Hawaii to add a run in the fifth to maintain a three-run lead.
 
Longwood was aggressive on offense and scored in the fifth and sixth innings to keep the game within reach. In the fifth, the Lancers loaded the bases before Grant Keller came home on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 4-2. Pitts swatted his two-run shot in the sixth.
 
"It was a good effort today, and I thought we came out ready to compete," said Longwood head coach Ryan Mau. "A few defensive miscues hurt us again, but we will try to iron those out before conference play rolls around."
 
Jon Peterson was excellent out of the bullpen. The left-hander set a career high with five innings while giving up four runs, two earned, on four hits and one walk with one strikeout.
 
"Jon Peterson challenged the zone and did an excellent job of keeping us in it," said Mau. "I liked the way he went after people today."
 
Hawaii rallied in the eighth after Ethan Lopez and Jacob Sniffin led off with back-to-back doubles. Peterson overthrew first on a bunt one batter later, and an RBI single by Scotty Scott pushed Hawaii's lead to 8-4.
 
Cullan Wadsworth and Michael Peterson tapped back-to-back one-out singles for the Lancers in the ninth, but Jawan McAllister popped up before Drayven Kowalski grounded out to short to end the game.
 
Peterson went 2-3 at the plate with a double for his first multi-hit game as a Lancer, and Wadsworth has reached base safely in seven straight.
 
Williams (0-3) took the loss for the Lancers after allowing four runs on seven hits with five walks and a strikeout. He pitched into the fourth inning before giving way to Peterson.
 
Colin Ashworth (1-0) earned the win for Hawaii out of the bullpen, and Calvin Turchin picked up his first save of the season for getting the final two outs of the ninth.
 
The two teams meet for one final game on Tuesday night at 11:35 p.m. (EST).
 
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