VESTAL, N.Y. – Longwood baseball took a bit to find its groove on Sunday, but once the team did, it took care of business. The Lancers (26-18) put up nine unanswered runs, including three in the ninth inning, to win 9-7 over Binghamton and take the series.
 
Tre Keels, Jae'dan Carter, Ben Pulliam and Tyler Bruggeman all banged out two hits apiece, and Carter drove in four of the nine runs on the day for the Lancers.
 
That was enough to overcome an early 7-0 advantage for Binghamton (22-16), with the Lancer bullpen putting up five scoreless frames to seal the deal.
 
SCORING:
               R             H            E
LWU      9             13           2
BU          7             10           0
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
Binghamton took the early lead with a three-run first inning behind RBI singles from Tommy Popoff and Zach Anderson.
 
The lead grew to 7-0 on an RBI single in the second from Steven Kraus and a three-run home run by Matt Bolton in the fourth.
 
However, Longwood didn't fold. Instead, the Lancers dug deep. Bruggeman cracked a double to open the fifth, and it started an avalanche. The Lancers loaded the bases, and Carter cleared them with a three-run double to right center to cut it to 7-3. He came home a few batters later on an RBI groundout from Pulliam.
 
The Lancers again trimmed the lead in the seventh. Carter singled home Keels before later scoring on a bases-loaded walk by Mac Tufts.
 
That set the stage for the ninth. Jon Howard walked, and Pulliam roped a double to start the frame. Jack McMullan then singled up the middle to score two runs, and Tufts knocked home the final run a few batters later for a 9-7 lead.
 
Meanwhile, the Lancer duo of Wyatt Bunch and JR Fordham put the clamps on Binghamton's offense. Bunch tossed 2.2 scoreless frames after coming on in relief, and Fordham (2-2) blanked the visitors for the final three innings. The fireballer struck out five while only walking two without a hit to get the win, his second of the season.

WHAT THEY SAID:

"What a way to cap off a great weekend," said Longwood Head Coach Ray Noe. "To go down 7-0 early and claw our way back to eventually score three in the ninth to take the lead is what this team is all about. There was never any pressing or wavering from the group–they stayed the course and competed hard for all 27 outs."

"I told the guys before the weekend that you never know when the process is going to reward you for what you do day to day," Noe added. "The likes of Bruggeman, Travers, Plesser, Tufts, McMullan, etc... were a testament to that this weekend. Someone else's turn will be next, and I'm excited for everyone to stay the course."
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
 

• Carter set a career high with his four RBI, and it was his eighth multi-RBI game of the season.
• He had eight RBI in the three-game series and 10 RBI on the week.
• Fordham's 3.0 relief innings marked his longest stint of the season.
• Fordham's five strikeouts also are a career best at Longwood.

 
UP NEXT:
 
Longwood stays on the road with a midweek matchup at VMI on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. in Lexington, and the game is scheduled to air on ESPN+.
 
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