CLINTON, S.C. – Despite eight quality innings from junior right-hander
Cody Boydstun on the mound, a pair of late run-scoring innings for Presbyterian sent the Blue Hose past the Lancers, 4-3 in 11 innings Saturday at Presbyterian Baseball Complex.
A walk-off home run by Colton Chapman in the 11th inning pushed Presbyterian (15-35, 8-15 Big South) past Longwood (15-34, 7-16 Big South) by a 4-3 final as Presbyterian scored the final four runs of the game.
The game plus a win by UNC Asheville against Gardner-Webb dropped the Lancers into a three-way tie for the eighth and final spot for the Big South tournament with Charleston Southern and UNC Asheville.
Though he received no decision, Boydstun was stellar for the Lancers in recording his team-leading fifth quality start of the season. The junior right-hander, working as a starter for the first time in 2018 after coming out of the bullpen his first two seasons on campus, tossed 8.0 innings of three-run ball, striking out eight batters and holding Presbyterian to five hits and three walks.
Out of the bullpen
Michael Catlin (3-7) was hit with the loss spinning a pair of scoreless frames before Chapman's homer to lead off the 11th inning.
Longwood scored three runs in the second inning off of Presbyterian starter Eric Miles before the right-hander tossed five consecutive scoreless frames to finish off his quality start. The Presbyterian bullpen held Longwood to one hit and one run over the next four innings, allowing the Blue Hose to score three runs in the eighth to tie the game and send the game to extras knotted at three.
At the plate every Lancer reached safely at least once, led by senior lead-off man
Sammy Miller, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of walks. Fellow senior
Justin Mitchell went 1-for-4 and was hit by pitch to extend his reached base streak to a career-high 21 games, the longest streak put together by a Lancer in 2018.
In the three-run second for the Lancers
Grant Keller started the frame with a single up the middle, picking up a knock on an 0-2 offering. After
Mac McCafferty reached on a fielder's choice,
Antwaun Tucker singled to right.
Eric Crain sent in the first run of the rally with an RBI single through the right side, sending a 0-2 pitch into right field to make it a 1-0 Longwood lead. With runners on the corners and no outs
Joey Mendez brought in the second run on a squeeze bunt, also moving Crain into scoring position. After Crain moved to third on a passed ball and
Jawan McAllister walked, Miller polished off the rally with an RBI single up the middle, making it 3-0 Lancers.
The lead held for the Lancers until the eighth inning when Presbyterian scored three runs on two hits and one walk in the frame.
Longwood and Presbyterian play the series finale Sunday with sophomore right-hander
Tyler Morgan (2-3, 5.67 ERA) on the mound for the Lancers opposite of Presbyterian sophomore righty Jackson Dean (0-3, 4.40 ERA). First pitch in the finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Presbyterian Baseball Complex.
#GoWood
