Box Score FARMVILLE, Va. -- Sophomores
Colton Konvicka/Richmond and
Kyri Washington/Prospect each had two hits, but Longwood University dropped a 5-2 Big South Conference baseball road decision at Winthrop University on Saturday afternoon in Rock Hill, South Carolina. John Menken had two hits, including a home run, and four RBIs for the host Eagles (28-19, 14-13 Big South), who won two of three games during the weekend series. The Lancers have concluded their 2014 season with a final record of 22-33 overall, 9-18 in the Big South.
Longwood and Winthrop played scoreless through three innings before the Eagles put three runs on the board in the fourth to lead 3-0. Babe Thomas (1-4, RBI) hit an opposite-field solo home run to right with one out, followed by a two-out single by Leighton Daniels (1-3) ahead of a two-run homer to left from Menken (2-3, 4 RBIs).
Longwood put runners on base in the second, fourth and sixth innings before scoring a run in the eighth to avoid the shutout. Freshman
Brandon Harvell/Yorktown (1-4) tripled to the wall in left center field with two outs in the eighth and scored on an RBI single to center from Konvicka (2-4, RBI). Konvicka stole second base for his team-best 24th steal of the season, but was stranded there on a ground ball out. The Lancers had their first base-runner with two outs in the second when senior captain
Alex Owens/Purcellville (0-3) was hit by a pitch. The visitors got a two-out double in the fourth from Washington (2-4), added a one-out double by Konvicka in the sixth, and Washington also led off the seventh with an infield single to third base before a ground ball double play erased the threat.
The Eagles added two insurance runs in the eighth to lead 5-1, aided by a pair of errors along with two hits, including a single by Menken that resulted in the two runs crossing the plate.
Longwood scored a run in the ninth inning for the final three-run margin. Junior
Brandon Delk/Newport News (1-4) opened the frame with a single, followed by another single with one out from senior
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (1-4). Freshman
Alex Lewis/Burke (1-2, RBI) came through with a clutch, two-out RBI single to center field that plated Delk, and classmate
Keith Roberts/Midlothian (1-2) followed with another single to load the bases, but a called third strike ended the game and season for the Lancers.
Senior
Cory Ramsey/Petersburg started for Longwood and pitched the first scoreless inning, registering three ground ball outs on nine pitches. It was the first mound appearance this season, and since March 2, 2013, for the fourth-year team member who has battled arm problems during his career. Freshman
Mitchell Kuebbing/Burlington, Kentucky (1-6) tossed 4.0 innings for the Lancers to take the loss, yielding five hits and three earned runs with no strikeouts and one walk. Sophomore
Allen Ellis/Mechanicsville went 1.2 shutout innings, yielding no hits with one strikeout and two walks. Freshman
Ryan Jones/Fredericksburg tossed the final 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and two runs, one earned, with no strikeouts and now walks.
It was also the final collegiate games for senior captain
Matt Dickason/Chesapeake (0-4) and classmate
Ryan Schubert/Springfield.
Josh Strong (1-5) pitched 7.1 innings of relief for Winthrop to gain the win, scattering nine hits and two earned runs with the four strikeouts and no walks. Jason Driver (3) got the final out via the strikeout for the save.
Longwood and Winthrop have now met four times overall and the Eagles lead the all-time series, 3-1.
