Longwood defeats UNC Greensboro in 6-5 thriller

Longwood won its fourth straight Friday game with a 6-5 victory over UNC Greensboro. The Lancers get back to their .500 with their 13th win of the year.

Andrew Potojecki (5-1) started on the mound for the Lancers and had another quality start. Poto finished with seven innings pitched and surrendered just three hits and one earned run while striking out two. The Lancers have won four straight contests that Poto has pitched in.

“He’s a grinder, man,” said head coach Chad Oxendine. “I talk about this all the time that dude is my horse if he never wins another race. He does everything right, he’s first one here and last to leave, and baseball is a game of karma. You do things right, the ball’s going to roll your way. Poto is a guy that does everything right, he competes and has a huge heart, and he’s going to give it all he’s got every time he’s out there.”

Hunter Gilliam started a two-out rally for the Lancers in the top half of the first with a triple in the right field gap. Jack Schnell and Gregory Ryan then hit consecutive doubles to give Longwood the 2-0.

The Spartans got one back in the bottom of the second after an Ethan McKay single scored Zack Budzik, who had doubled prior to McKay’s at bat.

UNCG tied the game up in the bottom of the third. Pres Cavenaugh reached on an error and ended up scoring off of a Greg Hardison singled up the middle.

Both the Lancers and Spartans went three scoreless as Andrew Potojecki and Austin Parsley got into their strides as the game wore on.

Longwood broke the tie in the seventh inning. CJ Faulkenberry and Keondre Shelton got the sparked the inning with back-to-back singles to give the Lancers baserunners at first and second. Drayven Kowalski then took an 0-1 fastball to the right center fence for a double that saw both baserunners cross home. Michael Peterson then stretched a base hit into a double to score Kowalski and give Longwood the 5-2 lead.

The Lancers added a much-needed insurance run in the eighth when there was a passed ball and Gregory Ryan scored to increase the Longwood lead to four.
The Spartans got three back in the home half of the eighth. A Kennedy Jones double that reached the right center fence saw Dallas Callahan and Brett Kelly score. GC Jerman then singled to left and scored Jones to make it a one run game heading into the ninth.

“Man, they are juiced up,” responded Oxendine on how the teams feeling after the dramatic win. “We’ve talked about this man the whole year, just trying to know what it feels like to win and get used to that feeling and they’re starting to like it and are understanding that losing is not what we’re supposed to do.”

Longwood returns to the diamond tomorrow at 2 p.m. with a chance to clinch their second straight series in Greensboro.