Box Score FARMVILLE, Va. -- Brady Williamson had three hits, including two home runs, and five RBIs, while Cas Silber pitched six shutout innings with 13 strikeouts, to lead High Point University to a 6-4 Big South Conference baseball win at Longwood University on Saturday evening at Bolding Stadium in Farmville. The visiting Panthers (27-19, 14-9 BSC ) led 6-0 through six innings and three pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts against the Lancers (20-30, 8-15 BSC) in the middle game of the three-game weekend series. Longwood and High Point will play the series finale on Sunday afternoon, May 11 at 1 p.m. in Farmville on Senior Day at Bolding Stadium.
High Point took an early 2-0 advantage in the third inning, scoring a pair of unearned runs with two outs. Chris Clare (0-2) reached on a fielding error at shortstop with one out, and scored on a two-out home run to left field by Williamson (3-5, 5 RBIs).
The weather took over as the top of the fourth inning was about to begin … lightning in the area at first, before a strong weather system moved through the area with heavy rain and more lightning. The delay lasted one hour and 38 minutes before the game resumed with both starting pitchers remaining in the contest.
The Panthers added a run in the fifth inning to lead 3-0 after Williamson hit his second homer of the game, a solo shot to left field with one out. HPU scored three runs in the sixth inning for a six-run advantage. Kyle Brandenburg (0-4) reached on another fielding error at shortstop and stole second base ahead of a walk to Tony Fortier-Benson (0-3), and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt. An infield single to the right side by Dane McDermott (1-5, RBI) plated Brandenburg with Fortier-Benson moving to third. McDermott stole second before Williamson contributed two more RBIs with a single to right field.
Longwood avoided the shutout with a run in the eighth inning to make it 6-1. Senior
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (0-3) walked with one out and advanced to second on a two-out single to right center field by senior captain
Alex Owens/Purcellville (2-3, 2 RBIs). Junior
Travis Biddix/Richmond (1-2, RBI) came through with a clutch pinch-hit RBI single to right that scored Burkett. The Lancers added three runs in the ninth for the final two-run margin. Senior captain
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake (3-5), who had three hits in the game, singled to lead off, but was out on a fielder's choice by junior
Brandon Delk/Newport News (0-5). After another strikeout, Burkett reached on a two-out fielding error at third base, advancing Delk, before freshman
Alex Lewis/Burke (1-5, RBI) doubled to left center field to score Delk. Owens followed with a two-run double to left center that plated Burkett and Lewis, but an unsuccessful attempted bunt for a hit ended the contest.
Junior
Brandon Vick/Newport News (4-7) started for Longwood and pitched the first 5.1 innings for the loss, scattering six hits and six runs, three earned, with three strikeouts and two walks. Freshman
Devin Gould/Fairfax Station tossed the final 3.2 scoreless innings for the Lancers, yielding just one hit with three strikeouts and two walks.
Silber (4-0) started for High Point and pitched the first 6.0 shutout innings, allowing only three hits with the 13 strikeouts and two walks. John Maloney (9) went the final 1.1 innings for the Panthers to gain the save, allowing three hits and three runs, none earned, with two strikeouts and no walks.
