FARMVILLE, VA. – Senior right-hander Travis Burnette and sophomore Sammy Miller each set career highs in Longwood's 4-3 win in game one of a three-game weekend series against Fairleigh Dickinson Friday afternoon at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
Burnette led Longwood (5-4) to an opening-game victory behind 8.2 innings of three-run ball, the longest start in the senior's career.
 
"That performance really sets up our bullpen well for the next two days," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said after the win. "I would have like to have seen him get that final out, he deserved that opportunity for it, but he just ran out of gas. I'm extremely proud of him. He's our captain, he's our workhorse, and I love having him lead us out there on Fridays."
 
In all Burnette (1-1) allowed three runs in 8.2 innings on four hits with five walks and tied a season high with seven strikeouts, two shy of his career high. The team captain tossed a season-high 121 pitches and 75 strikes against Fairleigh Dickinson (1-3) and turned in the second quality start of the season for a Lancer pitcher.
 
"Coach Mau came up to me after the eighth inning and shook my hand, telling me I did I good job, but I told him I want it," Burnette said after finishing one out shy of his first nine-inning complete game. "He let me stay in there for the ninth and it felt good getting the win."
 
Miller matched Burnette's heroics on the mound with his best game as a Lancer at the plate going 4-for-5 with an RBI double, two stolen bases, and a run scored in the win.
 
"He was our offense today, he was all over the place," Mau said. "He accounted for half of our hits and he's doing a great job in the lead-off role for us."
 
Miller's performance raised his season average to .313 (10-for-32), vaulted him to the team lead with 10 hits, and tied him for the Longwood lead in doubles with his third of the season. The four hits doubled his previous career high of two.
 
"It's fun having four hits in the game, but it's fun any time we're out here and Travis is pitching as well as he was and we get the win," Miller said. "I was seeing the ball well today and letting it get deep, which is something we've been working on in practice."
 
Miller, who is second on the team in batting average behind Roth's .333 (7-for-21), played in just 28 games with seven starts as a freshman, but has worked himself to the top of the lineup where he's been as productive as any Lancer.
 
"It's been exciting with last year not having played that much and then having to work hard to get to this point," Miller said. "Working all fall and all winter break it's been a long journey and everyone has been there every step of the way and I'm thankful for it. It's just from hard work, I guess."
 
Longwood's two-man staff outdueled Fairleigh Dickinson pitchers en route to the one-run win. Burnette picked up the win and freshman righty Cody Boydstun picked up the save (2) by nailing down the final out while FDU's P.J. Weeks (0-1) took the loss in his first appearance of the season, allowing three runs in 1.1 innings of work, including the go-ahead run in the sixth inning.
 
The Longwood lead hung in the balance in the ninth inning. After throwing 104 pitches in the first eight innings of work, Burnette lobbied to continue his outing and try for the complete-game win.
 
"We had a nice little discussion before he went back out for the ninth inning," Mau said. "I gave him the opportunity to talk me into going out. He went out and just ran out of gas at the end, but he did a heck of a job tonight."
 
Burnette walked the first batter he faced in the ninth, but a couple of outs, including Burnette's seventh strikeout, earned him one more chance to nail down the final out in a 4-2 Longwood lead. Burnette then issued his fifth free pass and his day was done, but not before he put together his second consecutive start with at least seven strikeouts. The start was the second consecutive quality start for Longwood, following Cody Wager's six inning, two run start at VMI Wednesday.
 
"It's imperative to get quality starts," Mau said. "That's what the name of this game is. You have to pitch and defend, and it starts on the mound. The starting pitchers really do set the tempo for the day and if you don't get the quality start it chews through your bullpen. Travis did a great job getting  us deep into the game. He had a great game today."
 
Boydstun was brought into the game with two outs in the ninth and allowed the first two batters he faced to reach, sending the tying run to third base, but the freshman battled back to nail down the final out and collect his team-leading second save.
 
Miller had the only multi-hit game for Longwood, but senior first baseman Connar Bastaich came up huge with a two-run single in the seventh inning to give Longwood a three-run lead.
 
The veteran stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and responded by dumping a 2-2 offering into left field, bringing Miller and C.J. Roth to the plate, which gave Longwood the final runs it needed to hold on for the win.
 
Bastaich, a preseason first team Big South selection, is batting .219 (7-for-32) on the season, is tied for the team lead with one home run, is second on the team with six RBI, and is third on the squad with 12 total bases.
 
Longwood returns to the field Saturday afternoon for game two with Fairleigh Dickinson. The Lancers send out lefty Michael Catlin (1-0) for his first start of the season opposite of freshman right-handed pitcher Chris Kachmar (0-0) for the Knights. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
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