FARMVILLE, Va. – Multi-hit efforts by Justin Mitchell and Alex Lewis and a pair of late-inning rallies for the Lancers weren't enough as Longwood fell to James Madison, 4-3, Tuesday afternoon in Longwood's home opener at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
James Madison (3-1) freshman starting pitcher Michael Bechtold (1-0) tossed 5.1 innings scoreless with just four hits allowed to shut down the Longwood (1-3) offense early. Michael Evans picked up the save after he ended a three-run rally in the eighth and then kept Longwood off the board after getting the potential tying run to second base the in the ninth inning.
 
"We started to find some holes late in the game and put some good swings on the baseball during those late rallies," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "We were able to put the tying run into scoring position twice in the final three innings, but unfortunately we needed one more big hit and couldn't get it tonight. I liked our chances in the ninth inning with the tying run on second base, 3-4-5 in the order coming up, but we couldn't get one more hit when we needed it."
 
The loss ends a three-game winning streak the Lancers held over the Dukes. The Lancers picked up eight hits as a team and drew six walks, but stranded 10 base runners in the defeat.
 
"We put on some really quality at-bats throughout the game," Mau said. "We took some walks, but weren't able to cash in with a big hit when we needed it. We strung some quality at-bats today, but they just didn't seem to find holes early in the game."
 
Mitchell put together his best game in a Lancer uniform with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate and drew his team-leading sixth walk. Lewis also had his best game of the season, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the eighth inning that brought in Longwood's first run of the game and put the tying run at the plate.
 
"It's good to see our captain (Lewis) start to really swing the bat like he's capable of and it was a big time double to help us put some runs on the board," Mau said. "Justin Mitchell had some outstanding at-bats with the three hits and drawing a walk."
 
Freshman right-handed pitcher Travis Riley (0-1) was hit with the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, in 3.1 innings on eight hits with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.
 
"It's always tough for a freshman in his first start and it took him a while to get settled in," Mau said. "He was able to minimize the damage early on and he helped keep us in it. Tyler Morgan did an outstanding job after that in the middle innings settling us down and keeping us in that ballgame."

Morgan pitched 4.1 scoreless innings with just three hits allowed and struck out four batters with two walks issued. Morgan has struck out six batters in 5.1 innings over two appearances this season.
 
In the eighth inning Longwood entered the frame trailing 4-0 when back-to-back singles by Michael Osinski and Justin Mitchell got a Lancer rally going. Lewis drove in Osinski with a double off the left-field wall, advancing Mitchell to third. A one-out sacrifice fly by Nate Blakeney and two-out RBI single by Antwaun Tucker brought the Lancers within a run.
 
In the home half of the ninth Sammy Miller was hit by pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Harvell with Osinski and Mitchell due to hit, but Miller was stranded in scoring position to end the game. Longwood went 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position in the game.
 
Longwood will play at James Madison on April 26 to complete the home-and-home series with the Dukes.
 
The Lancers continue the midweek action with a game at Richmond Wednesday afternoon. Freshman right-hander Tim Miller will take the mound for the Spiders opposite of Longwood righty Zach Potojecki, who pitched two scoreless innings in relief over the weekend. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Pitt Field.
 
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