3.22.2011

BOX SCORE

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University dropped a 5-4 home baseball decision to visiting VMI Tuesday evening at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville. The Lancers (17-7) and Keydets (11-10-1) were tied on three occasions at 2-2, 3-3, and 4-4 before the Big South Conference members scored the winning run in the seventh inning on a one-out sacrifice fly by Graham Sullivan. Junior Dustin Sollars|Midlothian (Cosby) hit a two-run home run for the hosts, and freshman Alex Owens|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) had a game-high three hits. Longwood will play again this weekend, March 26-27, at Bucknell University of the Patriot League in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

VMI scored two runs in the top of the first inning on a two-out, two-run single by Jacob Morley (1-2, 2 rbi). Longwood tied it at 2-2 with two runs in the bottom of the first when Sollars (1-5, 2 rbi) followed a lead-off walk to senior captain Brant Jones| Richmond (Monacan) (1-4, rbi) with his second home run this season, a no-doubt shot over the fence in left field. The Keydets added a run in the fourth on a two-out solo homer down the left field line by Chase Worthington (2-3, rbi). The Lancers answered again with a run in the fourth as well when Jones provided a two-out RBI single to tie it at 3-3.

VMI took a 4-3 lead with another run in the fifth when Sam Roberts (2-5) led-off with a single and later crossed the plate unearned via a throwing error. Longwood tied it for the final time at 4-4 in the sixth after Owens (3-4) singled and scored on a one-out sacrifice fly by senior captain Chris Briere|Midlothian (James River) (0-2, rbi). The Keydets, however, pushed across the decisive run in the seventh when Worthington was hit-by-a-pitch and scored with one-out on the sacrifice fly from Sullivan (0-2, rbi). The Lancers had an opportunity to tie it yet again in the eighth inning with runners at both second and third and only one out but VMI's Roberts moved from his regular position at shortstop to the mound and induced a pop-up and a strikeout swinging to end the scoring threat. He retired the side in order in the ninth, including two more strikeouts.

Sophomore Kyler Morgan|Lancaster, Pa. (Lampeter-Strasburg) (2-1) took the pitching loss for Longwood over 3.2 innings of middle relief, allowing four hits and three runs, two earned, with one strikeout and one walk. Junior Mark Montgomery|Williamsburg (Bruton) tossed the final 2.1 scoreless innings for the Lancers, yielding no hits with three strikeouts and one walk. He has yet to allow a run in 12 appearances totaling 15.2 innings while scattering six hits with 23 strikeouts and only four walks. Freshman Ryan Schubert|Springfield (Annandale) started on the mound and pitched the first 3.0 innings, allowing four hits and two runs, both earned, with two strikeouts and one walk.

Alan Watts (1-0) pitched 2.1 innings of middle relief to gain the VMI win, allowing three hits and one run, earned, with two strikeouts and no walks. Roberts (2) earned the mound save for the Keydets with the final 1.2 scoreless innings, yielding no hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

Each team had eight hits in the closely-played game, while VMI (5|8|2) had two errors and Longwood (4|8|1) had one error.