FARMVILLE, Va. – On a misty, cold, dreary day, speed and timely pitching proved to be the difference for Longwood baseball. Freshman Ethan Barnes scored twice, drove in a run and stole three bases for the Lancers (4-12), and Andrew Melnyk earned a relief win with two scoreless innings as Longwood beat Iona 5-4.
 
SCORE:
 
                       R         H         E
Iona              4         6         2
LWU              5         6         2
 
Top Longwood Performers:
Ethan Barnes: 1-2, 2R, RBI, BB
James Nelson: 1-3, RBI, 2B, HBP
Logan Berrier: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Andrew Melnyk: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
Hits and extra bases were hard to come by for both teams, but Barnes squeezed out every opportunity. He had a hand in three of Longwood's five runs.
 
The freshman scored two of the three times he reached base, including the go-ahead run in the seventh inning after he stole both second and third base. He also ripped an RBI single in the eighth for an insurance run.
 
The Lancers needed every bit, as the misty and wet conditions made power contact tough, and the two teams combined for a total of three extra base hits. James Nelson had an RBI double for Longwood, and Will Jenning and Pheonix Bowman had doubles for Iona (2-9).
 
The pitchers had a bit to do with that as well. Logan Berrier excelled for the Lancers, and the redshirt-junior has continued to grow into his starting role after beginning his Lancer career as a reliever. The righthander ended up with a tough-luck no decision after six strong innings that saw him strike out a career-best seven against three hits and a walk that led to one run.
 
Melnyk (1-0) got the win after coming on in relief in a sticky spot in the seventh. He tossed two scoreless innings, although Iona did punch the tying runs home. However, he struck out four batters in his two frames and was not charged with a run, and he has 18 strikeouts in his 9.1 innings this season.
 
Meanwhile, the offense had to grind out runs with small ball, and the Lancers stole six bases while drawing six walks.
 
James Nelson gave the team a 1-0 lead with an RBI double down the line in the first inning .Barnes came home on an RBI single by Dylan Wilkinson in the third, and Michael Dolberry scored in the sixth for a 3-1 lead.
 
Iona evened the score in the top of the seventh after getting to Guillermo Garcia for a pair of runs, but Longwood had the answer in the home half of the inning. Barnes led off with a walk before stealing both second and third, and he scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Gaels added a run in the ninth on an RBI fielder's choice by Anthony Zollo, but Dominick D'Ercole dodged any more damage to preserve the win and earn his first save of the season. He struck out one in one inning of work with one hit and one walk that led to one run.
 
Michael Lorenzetti (1-1) took the loss for Iona. He walked three and pitched 1.0+ innings of relief. He gave up two runs, both earned, with one hit without a strikeout.
 
WHAT THEY SAID:
 
"Andrew Melnyk threw the ball really well again," said Head Coach Chad Oxendine. "He's been pitching really well for us out of the bullpen, and he did it again today. Logan did a great job again too. Those guys actually flip-flopped spots from last year, with Logan starting. They're both excelling at their new roles."
 
"Logan started a little bit this summer in the Northwoods League, and it's been a goal of his for a long time," Oxendine said about what has helped Berrier get comfortable. "He's showing us that he can do it. Every time out, he's getting better and better. The big key for him is learning how to pitch and not overcompete, to remember that he's a starter and pitch with his best stuff. Fortunately tonight, we snuck one out."
 
"It definitely was a day where we had to grind out a win," Oxendine said. "Iona, man, I give them credit. They kept fighting and wouldn't go away. Their pitchers got out of some pretty good jams, and we just didn't get the big hit. We had runners on base almost every single inning, and we just couldn't get a big double to put a big inning up."
 
"I just told the staff, I'm glad Ethan played today, because we probably would have lost, to be honest with you," Oxendine said of his young, speedy freshman outfielder. "That's why he's in there. The guy plays hard, he runs hard, he does everything we ask. He's high energy, and it showed today how dynamic he can be when he gets on the bases."
 
"It's tough to hit on a day like today. It's foggy, it's misty, it's cold," Oxendine added. "When you've got guys that can move—they're athletic, they can run—they can take over a game in situations like today."
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
 
Longwood snapped a four-game losing streak with the win.
 
The Lancers stole a season-best six bases. Their previous best had been four.
 
The team's six drawn walks were the most since the team drew eight on Feb. 25 against Delaware State.
 
The pitching staff totaled 12 strikeouts, which is one shy of a season high. The Lancers struck out 13 against Mount St. Mary's in the series finale back on Sunday, Feb. 19.
 
Berrier retired 10 straight from the second inning through the first batter in the fifth inning. He didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning.
 
Melnyk has struck out at least four batters in three of his four relief appearances this season, and he is averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning.
 
Dylan Wilkinson had a multi-hit day, going 2-3 at the plate. He also had two sacrifice hits.
 
UP NEXT:
 
The two teams will take the field for games two and three of the series on Saturday. Game one begins at noon, with game two beginning roughly 30 minutes following the first game. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
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