FARMVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — Jon Howard broke out of a brief slump in emphatic fashion, launching two home runs and driving in three runs to power the Longwood Lancers to an 11-1 victory over the George Mason Patriots in nonconference baseball Tuesday afternoon at Bolding Stadium.

The game’s pivotal shift came in the bottom of the fourth inning, transforming a tight contest into a Longwood rout. The Lancers, trailing 1-0, sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs on just one hit, capitalizing on a parade of free passes and timely contact to seize control.

George Mason starter Parker Thomas had been dominant through three innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. But after he exited, the Patriot bullpen unraveled. Relievers Shaun O’Keefe and Jackson Peters combined to walk three batters and hit two more. With the bases loaded, Mac Tufts drew a walk to force in the tying run, and Carter J. followed with a two-run single through the right side. Another bases-loaded walk to Jon B. capped the inning, giving Longwood a 4-1 lead it would not relinquish.

Howard, Longwood’s first baseman who was 0 for 7 over his previous two games, provided the exclamation points. He led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer to right-center. Then, in the seventh, he delivered the decisive blow—a two-run shot to left-center as part of a four-run inning that broke the game open. Howard finished 3 for 5.

His performance overshadowed a strong start by George Mason’s Thomas and an early lead built by the Patriots. Julius Bagne led off the game with a single, was moved over by a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, and scored on an RBI single by Lucas Alberti.

Longwood starter Drew Siegner allowed the early run but settled in, giving up three hits over three innings. Wyatt Bunch earned the win with four scoreless innings of relief, allowing just three hits. Braydon Gray pitched a perfect eighth. For George Mason, Peters was charged with the loss.

The Lancers’ offense was relentless, tallying 10 hits and drawing 11 walks. Ben Pulliam added two hits and an RBI, while Brogan Jones contributed a two-run homer in the late innings. The Lancers also showcased aggressive baserunning, stealing five bases.

With the win, Longwood improved to 13-4, continuing its strong early-season form. George Mason fell to 6-8.

The result defied pregame projections from Interstat, whose ELO system had given George Mason a 62.9% probability to win and whose simulator had predicted a narrow 7-6 Longwood victory.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Fairfax, Virginia, on March 24.