Elon Baseball Falls to Longwood in Series Finale

ELON, N.C. – A ninth-inning grand slam off the bat of Longwood’s Michael Osinski sent the Elon University baseball team to a 9-5 defeat on Sunday afternoon at Latham Park. The loss was the first of the year for Elon.

Box Score | Play-by-Play

Elon (2-1) saw Kory Shumate go 3-for-3 with two RBI, while both Kyle Jackson and Will Nance notched 2-for-4 performances at the plate.

For Longwood (1-2), Osinski finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and five RBI on the day.

The loss went to Elon reliever Nick Beaulac (0-1) who was charged with one run in one-third of an inning. Freshman starter Kyle Brnovich departed after 3.0 innings. He allowed five runs on five hits and struck out three. He was followed to the mound by fellow rookie George Kirbywho hurled 4.2 shutout frames and allowed one hit. Kirby fanned two.

Cody Boydstun (1-0) earned the win after 1.2 shutout innings out of the bullpen. He struck out three. Longwood starter Tyler Wirsu was tagged for four runs on five hits in 3.0 innings.

How It Happened: With the game tied at five going to the ninth, Longwood’s first hitter of the inning drew a walk. After a pop out on a bunt, Miller doubled before a hit batter loaded the bases for Osinski. Osinski provided the game-winning shot when he sent a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left.

A day after being no-hit, Longwood’s Sammy Miller led the game off with a single up the middle. With Miller on third with one out, Osinski singled on a slow hopper to third to score Miller. Joey Mendez would add a three-run homer later in the inning to give the Lancers a 4-0 lead after an inning.

Elon would tie it at four in the last of the second. Jackson led the inning off with a home run down the line in left. After a Nance single and a walk, CJ Young delivered a two-RBI double down the third-base line to make it 4-3. Young then scored on Shumate’s single.

The Lancers went up 5-4 in the third on an Alex Lewis grounder. The Phoenix squared it at five when Young scored on another Shumate single in the sixth.

Notes: Sophomore Ryne Ogren saw his streak of reaching base safely snapped at 24 games… Elon was just 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

On Deck: Elon will remain at home to take on the Radford Highlanders on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.