FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th inning, but the rally ended with Charleston Southern topping Longwood, 8-7 in 10 innings, Sunday afternoon at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
 
Charleston Southern (11-7, 1-2 Big South) scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game and four runs in the top of the 10th to surge past Longwood (8-12, 2-1 Big South) in the series finale. Despite the loss, Longwood takes the series, 2-1, and sits in a three-way tie with Liberty and Winthrop atop the Big South.
 
"Winning the series was good, but we have to be able to put teams away when the opportunity presents itself," Longwood third year head coach Ryan Mau said. "If we expect to be toward the top of the league we must learn to complete the weekend."
 
Eddie Hiott (2-1) picked up the win for Charleston Southern, the benefactor of the late rally by the Buccaneers. Zach Potojecki (1-2) was hit with the loss after allowing a pair of runs to score in 3.1 innings of work. Taylor Cox picked up the save for Charleston Southern by recording the final out of the game, his first save of the season.
 
The Lancers got a pair of two-RBI games by shortstop Michael Osinski and catcher Nathan Iskowitz, who provided a late-game spark off the bench.
 
Entering the game as a pinch hitter with Longwood down 8-5, Iskowitz hit a two-run double in the home half of the 10th inning to bring Longwood within a run. The walk-on catcher had a pair of runners on with two outs and doubled off the warning track in right-center field to put the potential tying run in scoring position.
 
"Iskowitz gave us a chance with a great swing off the bench," Mau said. "We had a few opportunities to get on the board, but we couldn't get the big hit we needed."
 
Iskowitz drove in Nate Blakeney and Brandon Harvell, who had each reached with the Lancers down to their final out. After Iskowitz's double, Sammy Miller walked to put the potential winning run on base. Down 8-7 with two on and two outs, Antwaun Tucker roped a line drive to right-center field, but Charleston Southern center fielder Chris Singleton was able to race to the gap and make the grab to end the game.
 
Neither starter factored into the decision as both were out by the end of the fifth inning.
 
"We had to turn the game over to our bullpen very early and that caught up to us in the late innings," Mau said.
 
Longwood's bullpen pitched 8.2 innings in the loss Sunday and was not charged with a run until the ninth inning. The Lancers entered the ninth leading, 4-3. With two outs Charleston Southern designated hitter Brandon Gragilla tied the game on an RBI single, his lone hit of the day.
 
The Lancers took the first two games behind a pair of quality starts from the pitching staff, but Charleston Southern's offense broke out Sunday. The Buccaneers outhit Longwood 11-7 and got multi-hit games from three players. Jason Miller went 4-for-5 for Charleston Southern and Nate Blanchard was 2-for-5 with three RBI.
 
Charleston Southern led 3-0 after the second inning, rallying for three runs on four hits and one error to knock Longwood starter Tyler Wirsu out of the game.
 
Longwood was held scoreless in the next three innings until the offense came alive in the fourth inning. With two outs Miller was hit by a pitch to give the Lancers a two-out base runner. Tucker singled and Justin Mitchell walked to set up a Osinski, who singled back up the middle to plate a pair of runs. A pair of fielding errors in the next two at-bats allowed Longwood to take a 4-3 lead.
 
Sophomore left-hander Steven Farkas pitched well out of the bullpen, holding Charleston Southern scoreless in the middle innings. Farkas went 3.1 innings and allowed one hit with six strikeouts.
 
The Lancers led Charleston Southern until the ninth inning when a two-out single by Jason Miller kept the game alive. In the next at-bat, after Miller moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, an RBI single by Gragilla tied the game, 4-4. Charleston Southern scored four in the top of the extra frame, highlighted by run-scoring singles by Blanchard and Miller.
 
Longwood returns to action Tuesday with a midweek game at VCU in Richmond. First pitch at The Diamond is set for 6:30 p.m.
 
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