SHELBY, N.C. – Gardner-Webb dropped both ends of Saturday's doubleheader against the visiting Longwood Lancers, relinquishing late leads in both games.  GWU fell by a 9-7 score in game one, and would drop a 3-2 decision in the nightcap.
 
Gardner-Webb drops to 7-8 overall and is 0-2 in Big South Conference play, while Longwood improves to 7-11 on the year and 2-0 In conference action.
 
GAME ONE
 
With the game tied 7-7 with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Longwood's Scott Carter gave the Lancers the lead on aggressive base running, stealing home plate as the Lancers went on to hand Gardner-Webb a 9-7 loss in both team's league opener.
 
Longwood led off the frame with back-to-back doubles by Nate Blakeney and Carlos Garrido to tie the game.  The Lancers would send in Carter to pinch run for Garrido, who would later advance to third base as Cullen Wadsworth grounded into a double play.
 
That set up the steal attempt for Carter, who took off toward home as GWU pitcher Noah Davis hurled a pitch to batter Jacob Mitchell.  Catcher JP McGuire went to apply the tag on Carter, but the ball was knocked loose on the play, allowing Carter to score the go-ahead run.
 
The Lancers added an insurance run in the eighth on a RBI ground out by Grant Keller.
 
Longwood jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first.  With two outs and two runners on base, Garrido connected with a base knock to left field to score one, immediately followed by a three-run home run over the left field fence by De'Andre Pitts.
 
Gardner-Webb answered in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run home run to right field by Justin Kunz, his fourth home run of the season.
 
The Lancers pushed their lead back to three at 5-2 at the onset of the second as Mitchell led off with a solo blast to center field.
 
GWU began to chip away at its deficit in the bottom of the third inning, plating one run on a RBI single by Corey Howard, and scoring again in the fourth on a sac fly by Ben LaSpaluto to pull within one run at 5-4.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs took their first lead of the day in the fifth, scoring three runs.  McGuire tied the game with a RBI base hit to right field, and would later score on a bunt single by Chris Clary that would also allow Mitch McLendon to cross home plate safely, giving GWU a 7-5 edge.
 
The Lancers began their rally in the top of the sixth, cutting Gardner-Webb's lead in half on a lead-off home run to left field by Mitchell.
 
Longwood collected 14 base hits throughout the contest, led by Jawan McAllister, who was 3-for-4 with a double.
 
Gardner-Webb had nine hits, with Chandler Redmond (3-for-5, 2B) leading that effort.
 
Josh Longabaugh (1-1) earned the win for the Lancers, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one base hit with three strikeouts.  Andrew Melnyk lasted four innings in the start, giving up four runs, three earned, on five base hits with one strikeout.  Pedro Astacio gave up three runs, two earned, in 0.2 innings, and Jon Peterson worked the final two frames, allowing no hits or runs to record his first save of the season.
 
Chase Lane (0-1) was saddled with the loss for GWU, allowing two runs on two base hits in 1.1 innings of work.  Starter Isaac Campbell lasted 5.1 innings, surrendering six runs on 11 hits with six strikeouts. Davis and Cody Dooley also saw time on the mound for the 'Dogs.
 
GAME TWO
 
Longwood scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to go on to take a 3-2 decision over the Runnin' Bulldogs in the nightcap of Saturday's twinbill.
 
Neither team produced any runs until the bottom of the seventh when a sacrifice bunt by Clary allowed Howard, who led off the inning with a bunt single, to give Gardner-Webb a 1-0 lead.
 
The Lancers wasted little time answering, leading off the top of the eighth with a solo home home run by Drayven Kowalski.  Longwood would take the lead as a wild pitch allowed McAllister to score, and an error by GWU second baseman Davis Ballentine allowed Grant Keller to cross the plate, putting the Lancers up by a 3-1 margin.
 
Gardner-Webb attempted to rally in the bottom of the ninth as Kunz led off by belted his second home run of the day and fifth of the season.  McLendon later connected with a base hit with two outs, and after stealing second base, he would reach third on a wild pitch, but Longwood pitcher Tyler Morgan would shut down comeback effort, striking out Clary to end the contest.
 
Morgan (2-2) went the distance on the mound for the Lancers, allowing two runs on four base hits with ten strikeouts.
 
Reliever Landon Mitchell took the loss for the 'Dogs, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work.  Starter Aaron Stewart lasted two innings, allowing just one baserunner to reach on one walk with three strikeouts.  Jarrett Thompson recorded the last five outs for GWU, allowing one unearned run on one hit while fanning two batters.
 
Longwood had five base hits, led by Keller (2-for-3)
 
Gardner-Webb totaled four hits, with Kunz (1-for-3, HR, RBI) and Clary (1-for-3, RBI) driving in both runs.
 
Both teams will wrap up the first Big South Conference weekend series of the 2019 season tomorrow afternoon at Keeter Stadium, with the first pitch slated for 1:00 pm.