March 17, 2010

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took a 6-0 shutout victory in baseball past visiting VCU of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Wednesday evening at Bolding Stadium in Farmville. The Lancers (8-5) received an outstanding pitching performance from junior Chris Briere/Midlothian (James River) (2-1) who pitched the first 7.0 scoreless innings while yielding just two hits to the Rams (9-7) to halt a recent three-game losing streak. Longwood will play again this weekend, March 19-21, hosting Rider University of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for a four-game series at Bolding Stadium in Farmville beginning on Friday, March 19, at 3 p.m..

Longwood scored what would prove to be the only run it needed in the third inning on a one-out double down the left field line by junior Brant Jones/Richmond (Monacan) (1-4, 2 RBI) to score senior David Smiy Jr./Chesterfield (Matoaca) (1-3) who had reached on a single. The Lancers added a run in the fourth, two runs in the fifth, another run in the sixth and a final run in the eighth. In the fourth, freshman Justin Lacy/Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker) (2-3, RBI) contributed a two-out, run-scoring double to right center. In the fifth, senior Phil Cerreto/Midlothian (Midlothian) (2-4, RBI) had an RBI single while classmate Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) (1-4, RBI) added an RBI triple down the right field line. In the sixth, Jones added an RBI ground ball, while in the eighth, senior Robbie Bailey/Mechanicsville (Hanover) (1-4, RBI) led off with a solo home run to left center for his second homer this season.

Briere was excellent on the mound for Longwood, starting and pitching the first 7.0 shutout innings while allowing just two hits with a season-high seven strikeouts and no walks while forcing 10 ground ball outs and three fly ball outs. He retired the first 10 batters he faced, retired the side in order five of seven times, and allowed just one runner beyond second base. Sophomore Mark Montgomery/Williamsburg (Bruton) tossed the final 2.0 scoreless innings for the Lancers, yielding only one hit with two strikeouts and no walks for the combined shutout with Briere.

VCU only managed singles by Richard Gonzalez (1-4), Paul Nice (1-3), and Taylor Perkins (1-3). Kyle Haynes (1-1) took the mound loss for the Rams while pitching the first 5.0 innings and giving-up seven hits and four runs, three earned, with five strikeouts and one walk.