Box Score
HARRISONBURG, Va. -- Junior
Alex Owens/Purcellville was 4-5 with a home run and four RBI, to lead Longwood University to an 11-9 season-opening, non-conference baseball victory at in-state opponent James Madison University on Wednesday afternoon in Harrisonburg. The Lancers (1-0) scored six runs over the final three innings en route to the road triumph. Freshman
Blake Ream/Yorktown (1-0) earned the pitching win in middle relief, and sophomore
Aaron Myers/Newport News (1) gained the save with the final three innings. Ty McFarland was 3-3 with two RBI for the Dukes (0-3), and Trent Cundiff (0-1) took the pitching loss in relief. Longwood will play its first home games this weekend, February 22-24, hosting non-conference opponent Fairfield University of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for a three-game series at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville, beginning on Friday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.
Longwood took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a two-out, run-scoring single by Owens (4-5, 4 RBI) that scored junior
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake (2-3, RBI), who had reached on a one-out single. The Lancers went ahead 2-1 in the third after another one-out, RBI single from Owens that once-again scored Dickason, who had walked to opening the frame. LU plated two runs in the fifth to lead 4-3, as junior
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (1-4) doubled and Dickason, who had singled to lead-off, scored on the play after an error. Freshman
Kyri Washington/Prospect (2-5, RBI) followed with a two-out, RBI double to score Burkett. Dickason had a sacrifice fly with one out in the sixth that scored freshman
C.J. Roth/Yorktown (2-4, RBI), who had walked to open the at-bat, to give the visitors the lead for good at 5-4 through six innings.
Longwood made it 8-4 in the seventh, getting a two-run home run from sophomore
Brandon Delk/Newport News (1-5, 2 RBI) that also scored Owens, who had tripled, and Roth added a run-scoring single with one out to score Washington, who had doubled again. Owens hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth that scored senior
Justin Lacy/Glen Allen (1-3), who had doubled with two outs, and sophomore
Conner Hall/Mechanicsville (2-5) added a run in the ninth with a one-out double before advancing on a wild pitch and scoring unearned via an error.
Ream pitched 2.2 innings of relief, scattering one hit and one run, earned, with one walk and two strikeouts. Myers tossed the final 3.0 innings, yielding four hits and five runs, all earned, with three walks and two strikeouts. Senior
Kyler Morgan/Lancaster, Pennsylvania started on the mound and pitched the first 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and three runs, all earned, with one walk and three strikeouts.
James Madison tried to rally from the late 8-4 deficit in the seventh, scoring one run in the seventh and two runs each in the eighth and ninth innings, but it was not enough. Matt Tenaglia (2-4, RBI) had an RBI double in the first. Conner Brown (3-5, RBI) and Tyler Gregory (2-5, RBI) added RBI in the third. Chris Hanson (0-4, RBI) had an RBI ground out in the fifth. McFarland scored unearned in the seventh, and added a two-run single in the eighth. Gregory scored via a wild pitch in the ninth, ahead of a run-scoring grounder from Cole McInturff (0-3, RBI).
Cundiff pitched 1.2 innings of middle relief for JMU, scattering one hit and one run, unearned, with one walk and one strikeout. Ben Garner started on the mound and pitched the first 4.0 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs, all earned, with three walks and nine strikeouts.
