CLINTON, S.C. – Michael Osinski drove in a pair of runs on a double to cement a three-run ninth inning as Longwood won game one at Presbyterian, 4-1, Friday afternoon at the PC Baseball Complex.
 
Osinski was one of five hitters for Longwood with multiple hits in the win. The Lancers (25-18, 9-7 Big South) had eight of their starting nine pick up hits and Longwood outhit Presbyterian (21-21, 7-9 Big South) 13-5 in the win.
 
"We put great swings on the ball all day, but didn't have much to show for it until the ninth," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said after the win. "[Alex Lewis] executed a perfectly placed squeeze bunt that caught the defense off guard and then Osinski broke it open with a big two-run double."
 
Michael Catlin (4-0) picked up the win after tossing 1.1 perfect innings out of the bullpen for Longwood. Aaron Lesiak (2-3) was hit with the loss after allowing three runs, all in the top of the ninth, in 1.1 innings of relief runs.
 
"Catlin stepped into another pressure situation and delivered," Mau said. "He got their left-handed hitter to end the threat."
 
Catlin, a southpaw, entered the game with a pair of runners on base and two outs in a 1-1 game in the eighth inning and on one pitch got the left-handed hitting A.J. Priaulx to fly out to left field.
 
Neither starter received a decision in the game, but both were sharp Friday. Longwood ace Travis Burnette tossed 7.2 innings of one-run ball and spread out five hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
 
"[Burnette] had plus command of all three pitches today," Mau said. Burnette got weak contact throughout the game, inducing nine ground ball outs. "Our infield was challenged today with a lot of action on the ground and they responded making play after play."
 
Burnette, the senior co-captain, didn't allow multiple Blue Hose to reach in an inning after a run-scoring first inning until an intentional walk to the last batter he faced with two outs in the eighth put a pair on base. The quality start was the sixth of the season for Longwood, most on the team. The Lancers are 14-2 when the starter tosses at least 6.0 innings and allows three or fewer earned runs.
 
For Presbyterian, left-hander Brian Kehner worked out of jams throughout the game. Kehner allowed one run on 10 hits in 7.2 innings of work with four strikeouts to one walk in his quality start.
 
The Lancers racked up 13 hits, led by two from each of the top five hitters in the order. Sammy Miller, back in the lead-off spot after hitting seventh at Norfolk State, Connar Bastaich, Alex Lewis, Osinski, and Drew Kitson each had two hits for Longwood.
 
Lewis drove in the game-winning run for Longwood in the ninth inning. Miller doubled to set up Longwood with runners on second and third with one out. After the next batter, Bastaich, was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out, Lewis put down a bunt to bring in Janos Briscoe, the go-ahead run. Osinski then hit a two-run double to give Longwood a 4-1 lead.
 
Bastaich picked up his third consecutive multiple-hit game and the senior has a hit in each of his last 11 games. With a 2-for-4 game Friday, Bastaich surpassed Lewis as the team's batting average leader at .342. Lewis, who is hitting .341 after a 2-for-5 game, had led Longwood in average since the end of March.
 
Longwood picked up its ninth win in Big South play with the victory Friday, matching the number of conference wins in 2015. The Lancers have won each opening game of a weekend series since dropping the first game of the year at East Carolina. Longwood has posted a 10-1 season record in the first game of a series, all of which have been started by Burnette.
 
Longwood and Presbyterian will conclude the series Saturday with inclement weather expected in the area Sunday. The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday that begins at 11 a.m. Freshman left-hander Steven Farkas (2-1) is expected to start game one for Longwood opposite of Tanner Chock (1-2) for Presbyterian. Luke Simpson (0-2) is expected to start game two of the doubleheader, the series finale, against David Sauer (3-2) for the Blue Hose.
 
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