FARMVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — The Longwood Lancers erupted for six runs over the final three innings, turning a tight contest into a decisive 10-4 victory over the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at Bolding Stadium.

The game’s pivotal shift came in a chaotic bottom of the eighth inning, where the Lancers capitalized on a critical VMI error to break the game open. Holding a 7-4 lead, Longwood saw its first batter, J. McMullan, reach on a fielding error by the Keydets’ third baseman. After a flyout, Bentley Yeatts and T. Keels followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases with one out.

VMI reliever Hunter Sipe, who had provided 2 1/3 scoreless innings of stability, then induced a sacrifice fly from Jon Howard to plate one unearned run. After a walk reloaded the bases, Brogan Jones delivered the crushing blow, a two-run single through the left side that scored two more unearned runs, stretching the lead to 10-4 and effectively sealing the outcome.

The late offensive surge secured the win for a Longwood bullpen that delivered six strong innings. After starter Joe Castrichini allowed one earned run over three frames, Jackson Nash, Wyatt Bunch and Joe Gomez combined to allow just one run on five hits over the final six innings. Gomez struck out both batters he faced to end the game.

The Lancers improved to 24-16 overall, while VMI fell to 26-14. The result defied the pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 6-5 Keydet victory and gave VMI a 57.4% probability to win based on its ELO rating system.

Longwood’s comeback was necessitated by VMI’s early initiative. The Keydets struck in the top of the first when Prince Owen singled, advanced on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by Raile Cole. They added another run in the fourth without the benefit of a hit, as Cole walked, advanced on a passed ball and scored on an RBI single from Ay Schnarrs.

The Lancers, however, erased a 4-1 deficit with a decisive five-run third inning, all charged to VMI starter Trace Monroe and reliever Eli Tyndall. The rally was highlighted by a two-run single from Howard and a two-run double from J. Carter, tying the game before an out was recorded. Longwood then took the lead for good in the fourth, scoring twice more with the aid of two VMI wild pitches and a throwing error.

Howard finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs to lead the Lancers’ 10-hit attack, while Jones drove in two. Yeatts added two hits, an RBI and scored twice. For VMI, Schnarrs had two hits and two RBIs, and Cole scored three of the Keydets’ four runs.

Despite the loss, VMI received effective relief work from Roberto Velasquez, who allowed one unearned run over 2 2/3 innings, and Sipe, who kept the game within reach until the eighth-inning breakdown.

The two in-state rivals are scheduled to meet again next Tuesday in Lexington. VMI will first travel to face High Point for a three-game series starting Friday. Longwood heads north for a three-game set at Binghamton beginning the same day.