RADFORD, Va. – Longwood and Radford split in a doubleheader, Radford taking the first game, 16-6, and Longwood taking the second game, 7-1, Saturday at Radford baseball stadium.
 
Longwood (9-15, 3-3 Big South) earned the split to end a four-game skid and get back to .500 in league play, but Radford (10-13, 2-1 Big South) took the series after winning Friday night.
 
"Game one was rough," Longwood head coach Ryan Mau said. "We didn't do much of anything right. I am glad we were able to flush it and respond in game two."
 
Brandon Harvell had a five-hit day between the two games, including a career-high four hits in the second game. Harvell homered in the first game and hit a pair of doubles in the second game.
 
Antwaun Tucker also had a career day at the plate for the Lancers with four hits between the two games, including his first career home run. Tucker finished the day a double shy of the cycle.
 
With the win in the second half of the doubleheader, the Lancers sit fifth in the Big South standings.
 
"We have been very much a Jekyll and Hyde team up to this point," Mau said. "We need to start finding some consistency soon if we want to make a push for the top half in the league."
 
Longwood has Sunday off with the completion of the three-game weekend series. The Lancers return to action with game at N.C. Central on Tuesday, before returning home to host VMI Wednesday, which can be heard on 92.9 FM Farmville WVHL Kickin' Country. First pitch at N.C. Central is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday.
 
Game One, Radford 16 Longwood 6
A pair of homers by Jonathan Gonzalez powered Radford to a 16-6 victory in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Radford Baseball Stadium.
 
Radford hit five home runs in the game led by a pair by Gonzalez, a senior catcher. Gonzalez hit a pair of homers to best the Lancers, who got home runs in the loss by Tucker and Harvell. Radford took control in the middle innings and controlling the rest of the way, scoring three or more runs in the fifth through eighth innings.
 
Danny Hrbek (2-1) picked up the win for Radford, spinning 6.2 innings of three-run ball. Hrbek also went 1-for-4 at the plate with a run score and finished the game as the shortstop.
 
Cody Wager (3-3) took the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. The loss comes after three consecutive winning starts for the senior right-hander.
 
Tucker finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate, one of three Lancers with multi-hit games. Carlos Garrido went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a walk while freshman outfielder Grant Keller went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI.



Tucker crushed his first career home run, a two-run shot, to left field in the third inning to put the Lancers on the board. The freshman outfielder turned on the first offering by Hrbek to plate Sammy Miller, who reached in the previous at-bat after being hit by pitch.
 
Harvell hit a solo homer in the fifth inning to put Longwood up 3-0 before Radford took control of the game.
 
A three-run home run by Luke Wise tied the game at three. The junior right fielder came up with a pair on base after Wager issued a walk and hit a batter. The home run was just the second hit allowed by Wager in his outing.
 
In the home half of the sixth inning Gonzalez smashed his first home run to untie the game. His two-run shot put Radford ahead 5-3. Gonzalez finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of homers. Going back to Friday, Gonzalez went 5-for-8 with a pair of doubles, two home runs, and five RBI in the first two games.
 
Game Two, Longwood 7 Radford 1
 
Harvell led the Lancers at the plate in the second game, going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two run scores and two doubles.
 
"Harvell had a great day at the plate," Mau said. "He was involved in every scoring inning we had in game two."
 
The senior scored the first run of the game in the first inning, drove in the second on a squeeze play in the third, and laid down a bunt single that led to an error that allowed a run to score in the fifth.
 
Harvell was one of four Lancers with multi-hit games in the win as the Lancers pounded out 14 hits, tied for the most in a game this season. Harvell tied his career high with the four hits and two RBI and the two-double game was the first of his career.
 
Justin Mitchell picked up his first multi-hit game in the last 10 games, going 2-for-5 with a double and RBI. Michael Osinski had his team-leading 11th game with multiple hits in a 2-for-4 game. Joey Mendez went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the victory.
 
Zach Potojecki (2-2) picked up the win, pitching well out of the bullpen in relief of Steven Farkas, who went 3.0 scoreless innings to start the game. Potojecki spread three hits across 5.1 innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts in the outing. Cameron Fritz (2-2) was hit with the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
 
"The staff was awesome in that second game," Mau said. "Farkas set the tone with a limited pitch count start. Potojecki was electric in the middle innings and Catlin finished strong."
 
In the back half of the doubleheader the Lancers built an early multi-run lead, same as in the first game. In game two, the pitching staff turned things around with 14 strikeouts, led by Potojecki.
 
Longwood's defense was sharp in the win, committing no errors in the victory. The Lancers improved to 6-0 when playing error-free ball.
 
Mitchell opened the scoring with an RBI double to left-center to plate Harvell who reached on a single. Longwood then doubled the lead in the third when Harvell gave himself up on a bunt to bring home Tucker, who tripled in the previous at-bat.
 
Longwood built a 4-0 lead before Radford got on the board in the home half of the sixth inning, the lone blemish in the game. The Lancers answered back with a run of their own in the top of the seventh inning. The Lancers capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth inning when Harvell, Alex Lewis, and Mendez hit three doubles in the span of four at-bats.

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