3.14.2012

BOX SCORE | LongwoodULancers YouTube Video Highlights

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took a 9-7 baseball victory past visiting in-state opponent George Mason University of the Colonial Athletic Association Wednesday afternoon at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville.  The Lancers (11-6) scored two runs in the first, four runs in the second, and three runs in the fourth en route to the home win past the Patriots (11-6).  Junior Justin Lacy|Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker) and sophomore captain Matt Dickason|Chesapeake (Indian River) each collected three hits, including a home run and two RBI by Lacy, while freshman Brandon Vick|Newport News (Warwick) earned the pitching win.  Longwood will play again this weekend, March 16-17, on the road at future Big South Conference opponent Campbell University for a three-game series in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
   
Longwood scored two runs in the first on a one-out, two-run home run down the right field line by Lacy -- an extremely hard hit ball that never was much more than 10 feet off the ground.  It was his second homer this season.  The Lancers added four runs in the second after two outs had been recorded as Dickason (3-5, RBI) had an RBI single, before three runs crossed the plate unearned via a throwing error, a wild pitch, and a passed ball.  Longwood scored its final three runs in the fourth as sophomore Scott Burkett|Williamsburg (Jamestown) (1-5, RBI) provided a run-scoring double, senior Robby Newman|Virginia Beach (Salem) (0-3, RBI) drove-in a run with a ground out, and freshman Joey Varaksa|Charlottesville (Albemarle) (1-3, RBI) added an RBI single.
   
George Mason scored one run in the first after Chris Cook (1-2) had opened the game with a single and later crossed the plate with one out when a teammate was caught stealing.  The Patriots added two runs in the second on a pair of RBI singles by Ray Toto (1-2, RBI) and Dan Schafferman (1-4, RBI), respectively.  GMU scored another run in the fourth when Jordan Hill (1-3) singled and later crossed the plate via a wild pitch.  The visitors tried to rally late with two more runs in the sixth courtesy of consecutive wild pitches, and a final run in the seventh on a lead-off solo home run from Zack Helgeson (2-4, RBI) to left field.
   
Vick (3-0) started for Longwood and pitched the first 5.1 innings for the win, scattering 10 hits and six runs, four earned, with no walks and three strikeouts.  Senior captain Matt Gwaltney|Chesterfield (Matoaca) tossed the final 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits with no walks and two strikeouts for the save (1) -- his first of the season.
   
John Williams (2-1) took the mound loss for George Mason, pitching the first 3.2 innings and yielding seven hits and nine runs, five earned, with three walks and three strikeouts.