Longwood University swept a home baseball doubleheader past visiting University of Buffalo from the Mid-American Conference Saturday at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville.
The Lancers (13-5) have won 11 straight games after taking game one against the Bulls (2-7) by a score of 15-5 and game two by a score of 9-6.
Junior Michael Sims|Stafford (North Stafford) led the way in the opener with three hits and five RBI, including a three-run home run, and classmate Matt Gwaltney|Chesterfield (Matoaca) earned the pitching win with 6.0 solid innings, while senior captain Chris Briere|Midlothian (James River) had three hits and two RBI, and junior Dustin Sollars|Midlothian (Cosby) had four hits and an RBI in the nightcap.
Longwood and Buffalo will play again on Sunday, March 13 — another twinbill at Bolding Stadium in Farmville beginning at 12 p.m.
In the opener, Longwood scored three runs in the first inning as sophomore Justin Lacy|Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker) (2-4, rbi), junior Robby Newman|Virginia Beach (Salem) (2-3, 2 rbi), and freshman Scott Burkett|Williamsburg (Jamestown) (2-5, 2 rbi) each contributed run-scoring singles. The Lancers added a run in the second when Sollars (3-5, rbi) had an RBI single, two more runs in the fifth aided by two errors and an RBI single by Sims (3-5, 5 rbi), and another run in the sixth courtesy a run-scoring double from Newman to make it 7-4. The hosts broke it open with three runs in the seventh via an RBI double by Sims and a sacrifice fly from sophomore Scott Laabs|Glen Allen (Deep Run) (0-0, rbi) along with another error, and closed with five runs in the eighth as Sims hit his first collegiate home run, a three-run blast to left field, following an RBI by Burkett when reaching on a fielder’s choice as well as another error. Senior captain Brant Jones|Richmond (Monacan) (2-6) also had two hits in the first game as Longwood pounded 17 hits against three Buffalo pitchers.
Gwaltney (3-1) started for Longwood and earned the pitching win with the first 6.0-plus innings, scattering nine hits and five runs, three earned, with five strikeouts and one walk. Senior Troy Dickman|Manakin Sabot (Midlothian) tossed 3.0 scoreless innings on the mound for the Lancers to earns his first save this season, allowing four hits with one strikeout and one walk.
In the nightcap, Longwood spotted Buffalo two runs in the second inning before scoring six runs in the second as well behind RBI singles from Burkett (2-4, rbi), Briere (3-3, 2 rbi), Sollars (4-4, rbi), a two-run single by Lacy (2-4, 2 rbi), and a run-scoring double from freshman Alex Owens|Purcellville (Loudoun Valley) (2-3, rbi). The Lancers added a run in the third when Briere contributed another RBI single, and Sims (2-2, rbi) added another run-scoring single in the fourth, before Briere crossed the plate in the fifth during a run-down between first and second base on a steal attempt. Briere had singled to open the at-bat. Freshman Matt Dickason|Chesapeake (Indian River) (2-4) also had two hits in the second game as Longwood once-again pounded 17 hits against three Buffalo pitchers.
Freshman Ryan Schubert|Springfield (Annandale) (1-0) gained the Longwood pitching win, his collegiate first, with the first 5.0 innings on the mound, scattering six hits and five runs, all earned, with a career-high six strikeouts and one walk. Junior captain Mark Montgomery|Williamsburg (Bruton) got the final out for the Lancers for his fifth save this season, yielding one hit.
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