Farmville, Va.- Longwood won an intense game via the walk-off against George Mason on Tuesday. The win is Longwood's first walk-off win this season.

Keondre Shelton played hero today for Longwood after hitting the walk-off single down the left field line that scored CJ Faulkenberry. Shelton had the single and a walk tonight and the crucial RBI that clinched the Lancers first midweek win in almost a month.

"We finally got a last at-bat," said head coach Chad Oxendine on how it feels to finally get on the winning side of a walk-off. "Those seven walk-offs were all on the road. Keondre really came up big in the bottom of the ninth to give us the win."

George Mason scored in the top half of the first to claim a quick four run lead. Brett Ahalt singled in Jordan Smith and Brett Stallings who had both walked earlier in the inning. A single by Kamron Smith then brought home Ahalt and South Trimble to give the Patriots the four-run advantage.

Back-to-back home runs by Hunter Gilliam and Jack Schnell cut the Lancers deficit in half in the home half of the first. It's the first time two Longwood batters have gone back-to-back since 2019.

The Patriots then responded in the third inning through a Trimble sacrifice fly and a throwing error by the Longwood pitcher to give George Mason the four-run lead again.
The Lancers put up six runs in the fourth and fifth innings to give them the first lead of the evening. Three bases loaded walks and two Dylan Wilkinson sacrifices led the way for Longwood.

George Mason would not go down with a fight and tied it up themselves in the top of the seventh. A throwing error by the Longwood shortstop on a single saw Smith score from third and a Dylan Hosley then roped a double to score Ahalt and knot the game at eight.

Longwood have been on the receiving end of seven walk-off games this season, and they were ready to turn the tables and have the ball roll their way. In the bottom of the ninth Jack Schnell took a four pitch walk, and CJ Faulkenberry pitch ran for him at first. Wilkinson was then intentionally walked, setting up a dramatic finish for regulation.

Keondre Shelton then stepped up and singled down the left field line, scoring Faulkenberry from second and giving Longwood their first walk-off victory of the season.

Both teams used a five-pitchers each, with JR Parrish (1-1) picked up his first win of the season after throwing a shutout top of the ninth and Christian Mracna (0-4) was responsible for his fourth loss after going one and two-thirds but giving up the game winner to Shelton.

Led by Hunter Gilliam and Jack Schnell, the Lancers offense only got five hits tonight but managed 13 walks. Gilliam and Schnell hit early home runs, and Gilliam contributed forty-percent of the hits for his side.

"Something we talked about this weekend at High Point was not chasing as much as we have been, (earlier in the year)," explained Oxendine on his teams approach at the plate tonight. "And the guys were really selective tonight. Got a couple big hits and we were able to put some big numbers up on the board."

Longwood returns to action Thursday for a three-game pre-Easter series against Presbyterian here in Farmville.

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