Longwood University took a 9-7 baseball home win past visiting North Carolina Central University Thursday afternoon at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville. The Lancers (23-13) led 9-0 through five innings against the fellow Independent Eagles (4-31) who made it interesting by scoring seven runs during the eighth and ninth innings.
Senior captain Chris Briere|Midlothian (James River) pitched 6.0 shutouts innings on the mound, classmate and captain Brant Jones|Richmond (Monacan) had three hits, including a double, while junior Michael Sims|Stafford (North Stafford) had two hits and three RBI, including a three-run home run.
It was career coaching victory number 895 for 33rd-year head coach Buddy Bolding (895-490-4). Longwood will now be idle for nine days before playing again on Saturday, April 23, hosting North Carolina A&T of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for a doubleheader at Bolding Stadium in Farmville beginning at 1 p.m.
Longwood scored five runs in the second inning on six hits, beginning with a double by sophomore Justin Lacy|Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker) (1-4), followed by an infield single from junior Dustin Sollars|Midlothian (Cosby) (2-4), and another infield bunt single by junior Robby Newman|Virginia Beach (Salem) (1-2) to load the bases with no outs. Briere (2-3, rbi) promptly provided a run-scoring single that scored Lacy, however, Sollars was out at third on the play. Freshman Alex Owens|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (0-0) walked to load the bases with one out before classmate Matt Dickason|Chesapeake (Indian River) (1-2, rbi) added a sacrifice fly to score Newman. Sims (2-2, 3 rbi) followed with his three-run homer to left field, his third of the season, to complete the big inning.
Longwood added three more runs in the fourth as Owens again walked and later scored on an RBI single by Jones (3-5, rbi). Freshman Scott Burkett|Williamsburg (Jamestown) (2-5, 2 rbi) added a two-run double that scored both Jones and Sims who had singled as well. The Lancers added a final run in the fifth for the 9-0 advantage after freshman Adam Blankinship|Richmond (Mills E. Godwin) (0-2) pinch-ran for Newman who had walked and later crossed the plate on a groundout from sophomore Scott Laabs|Glen Allen (Deep Run) (0-2, rbi).
North Carolina Central finally put two runs on the scoreboard in the eighth inning on a two-out rally that included a two-run triple by Etienne Farquharson (1-4, 2 rbi). The Eagles made it even more interesting when they scored five runs in the ninth inning, aided by two errors, including a dropped ball on a force at second base before a three-base throwing error allowed three runs. Nate Smith (3-5, 2 rbi) was credited with a two-run single in the inning as the visitors only had two hits during the at-bat. NCCU had the tying run at the plate with two outs before Longwood junior closer Mark Montgomery|Williamsburg (Bruton) entered and struck-out the final batter swinging on four pitches.
Briere (6-2) earned the Longwood pitching win with the first 6.0 scoreless innings, scattering only four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Senior Troy Dickman|Manakin Sabot (Midlothian) tossed a scoreless and hitless inning with one strikeout, while three different relievers ran into trouble before Montgomery gained his eighth save with the game-ending K.
Douglas Dalley (0-5) took the pitching loss for North Carolina Central with the first 4.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and nine runs, all earned, with two strikeouts and four walks.
Longwood continues to lead in the all-time series against NCCU since first playing in 2008 at 7-0.
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