FARMVILLE, Va. – On opening weekend, Longwood opened the 2021 season taking two out of three from The Citadel in sunny Charleston, S.C.
In their return to Buddy Bolding Stadium, the Lancers (3-1) brought the warmer weather and hot bats back with them.
On a picturesque Tuesday in Farmville one week after a winter storm blanketed the region with ice and snow, Longwood rode a career-high six RBI from junior first baseman Hunter Gilliam to a 22-14 rout of N.C. Central (3-1) at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
The offensive outburst was Longwood's first 20-run game since a 23-8 win over N.C. Central on April 8, 2012 and featured a season-high 15 hits. Gilliam matched a single-game school record with career-high five of those out of the cleanup spot, including a towering three-run homer to straightaway center in the bottom of the second. He is the 11th player in team history to notch a five-hit game and first since Colton Konvicka against High Point in 2013.
"Offensively, we went against a freshman arm in his first college appearance, and he struggled," said Longwood head coach Ryan Mau. "We were patient and took the free passes, and then we came up with timely hits. We had 16 quality at bats in a row out of the gate, which is a heck of a way to start. I've never seen a number like that, that's quite a string, quite a run. So we were locked in offensively with competitive at bats right out of the gate and put up a huge number there to get us going.
Gilliam's 5-for-6 day stole the show, but Longwood's run production came from top to bottom as every starter crossed the plate at least once. Gilliam, Jack Schnell, Ricky Jimenez and Hayden Harris all had multiple hits, Justin Looney homered, and leadoff man Michael Peterson reached safely five times, scored four runs and stole two bases.
"It's something that we brought out of the gate this weekend, and we talked about bringing the energy all night long, however long it took," Mau said. "And when you play in an environment like this [with no fans], it is important to create your own energy for your team to feed off of. I thought the energy was great all night. I thought, obviously, Hunter Gilliam and Jack Schnell really led us offensively with some big time swings. It was great to see Looney land a big one. It's always great to see a freshman get his first hit, and Hayden Harris had a great night in his first collegiate appearance.
Schnell, hitting in the No. 3 spot ahead of Gilliam, had a monster day of his own going 3-for-5 with four RBI and five runs, one shy of tying the single-game record, to extend his hitting streak to four games.
The Lancer offense roared out with a monstrous first inning that nearly put the game away, bringing 16 to the plate and taking a 10-0 lead, chasing N.C. Central starter Parker Kanupp (0-1) from the game in the process.
"Offense is no doubt contagious," said Gilliam. "The preparation we've been putting in is insane. We've been working. Our hitters work all the time, and it shows."
The Eagles answered with five in the second, but Gilliam smacked his three-run homer in response to help fend off N.C. Central. N.C. Central's Luis DeLeon, the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, drove in four runs while banging his second triple of the season, but Longwood's offense kept fending off N.C. Central and kept the Eagles at arm's length for the remainder of the contest.
For Longwood, Andrew Potojecki (1-0) earned his first collegiate win, coming on in relief in the third inning and pitching through the end of the sixth. The right-hander struck out five, one shy of his career best, while holding N.C. Central to one run on three walks, and the returning freshman didn't allow a hit.
"Defensively, we've definitely got some things we still need to address," Mau said. "I thought we lost focus a little bit there towards the end. Out of the bullpen we're going to need a lot more strikes. They've shown the ability to this point, we just need to transfer it over to games. Offensively, I think we have a shot at being a pretty good club, and it showed tonight."
Now 3-1 to open the year, the 2021 Lancers have matched the 2019 team for the program's best four-game start in seven years under Mau.
"Our team is different. The grit is different. The effort is different," Gilliam said. "Years past, if you followed Longwood baseball, we've been off to slow starts. We are looking to do something different this year. The energy's there. The guys are there. We've got talent. We've just been working."
Next up for the Lancers is a home series against Oakland, starting on Friday, Feb. 26. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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