FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood baseball rallied in the middle innings, but a strong start and a better close from Winthrop was the difference on Saturday afternoon at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
The Eagles (24-21, 10-7 Big South) outslugged Longwood (10-33, 4-13 Big South) 20-10 to take the series.
 
Winthrop piled up 21 hits while Nate Chronis drove in nine runs, a career best, and Jaylen Hernandez went 5-7 at the plate with four runs and two RBI.
 
For Longwood, Myles Webb led an offense that put up 10 runs on 16 base hits. Webb tied a career high with four RBI, and the top four Lancers in the order scored two runs each. Jae'dan Carter also tied a career high with three base hits while setting a new career high with three RBI.
 
SCORING:
               R             H            E
WU        20           21           0
LWU      10           16           4
 
WHAT HAPPENED:
 
Winthrop jumped out to a 4-0 lead thanks in part to a three-run double by Chronis in the first, and the Eagles made it 9-1 through three-and-a-half innings.
 
However, Longwood refused to go away on senior day. Webb doubled in Longwood's first run in the third, and Mac Tufts pushed in another in the fourth.
 
Carter whacked in two more runs with a double in the fifth, but Winthrop answered with three runs in the sixth.
 
The Lancers owned the seventh and eighth innings to trim the gap again though. Webb cranked a two-run home run down the line, and Carter tripled home James Nelson. Matt Stevenson doubled him home to cut the lead to 12-8.
 
In the eighth, Carter Newman roped an RBI triple down the line, and then Webb singled him home to trim the lead to 12-10.
 
That was as close as the Lancers would get though, as Winthrop erupted for eight runs in the top of the ninth.
 
Connor Harris (6-3) picked up the win for Winthrop after striking out six against 10 hits and a walk that led to four runs in six innings. Shane Keup (2) struck out four in two scoreless innings of work to earn the two-inning save.
 
Kyle Miller took the loss after giving up four runs on three hits and two walks in three innings.

WHAT THEY SAID:
 
"Today was a great celebration for the 9 seniors (and grads) that we honored today," said Longwood Head Coach Ray Noe. "It takes a lot of sacrifice, time, and energy for the players to get to this day. I couldn't be more proud of the nine guys and the impact they've had on me and the program this year."