CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team dropped a Senior Day contest to Longwood on Saturday, falling to the Lancers in a 9-7 verdict.
PC moves to 23-28 and 9-11 in league action while Longwood improves to 24-24 and 12-11 in the Big South. The two sides meet on Sunday for the series finale at 1 p.m. in PC's final home game of the season.
Longwood did almost all of its damage in the fourth inning, scoring seven runs to wipe out a five-run second inning from PC.
The Lancers used six hits to score their seven runs, highlighted by a two-run double from Colton Konvicka and run-scoring base hits from Alex Owens, Kyri Washington and Matt Dickason.
Ryan Hagan (Sugar Hill, Ga.) hit his first career home run in the second inning to score three runs. The freshman smacked a full-count pitch over the left field wall to plate Jacob Midkiff (Greer, S.C.) and Nate Chong (Duluth, Ga.). The frame continued with a Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) double and a Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) walk to bring up Robby Swab (Kernersville, N.C.). The senior catcher laced a pitch through the right side to score both runners and give PC an early 5-0 lead.
PC tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Aaron Preston (Goose Creek, S.C.) knocked a double to right field before Zebedis launched a triple to centerfield to cut Longwood's lead to one, 7-6. Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) followed with an RBI single through the left side to score Zebedis and pull PC even, 7-7.
Longwood scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh on a Washington sacrifice fly before the Lancers used another Washington sac fly in the ninth to lead by the eventual final score, 9-7
The Blue Hose posted their third straight error-free game with the result. A first-inning double play kept the Lancers scoreless and both Midkiff and Swab turned in notable performances in the field. Midkiff grabbed a line drive for an out and registered two of the three outs in the top of third while Swab made a diving catch in foul territory for a crucial out late in the game.
Bud Jeter (Columbia, S.C.) took the loss to move to 5-6. The junior struck out four in six and one-third innings. Chad Sanders (St. Simons Island, Ga.) pitched two innings of one-run ball and Brett Byrum (Rowlett, Texas) secured the last two outs in perfect fashion.
Brandon Vick improved to 5-5 with the win and Aaron Myers earned his 10th save of the season and second in a row.
Prior to the game, PC honored seniors Ryan Morris (Jamestown, R.I.), Tim Corbin (Murrells Inlet, S.C.), Kelly Wright (Myrtle Beach, S.C.), Swab and Preston.
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Longwood............ 000 700 101 - 9 13 1 (24-24, 12-11 BSC)
Presbyterian College 050 002 000 - 7 13 0 (23-28, 9-11 BSC)
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Pitchers: Longwood - VICK, Brandon; BURNETTE, Travis(7); MYERS, Aaron(8) and BURKETT, Scott.
Presbyterian College - JETER, Bud; SANDERS, Chad(7); BYRUM, Brett(9) and SWAB, Robby.
Win-VICK, Brandon(5-5) Save-MYERS, Aaron(10) Loss-JETER, Bud(5-6) T-2:39 A-208
HR PC - HAGAN, Ryan (1).
Weather: Mid-70s, cloudy skies
