ASHEVILLE (Interstat) — JR Fordham threw 4 2/3 innings of no-hit relief with seven strikeouts, and Longwood used a five-run fifth inning to rally past Charleston Southern 10-4 on Friday afternoon at Greenwood Baseball Field.

The Lancers improved to 31-25 overall, while the Buccaneers dropped to 30-23 in a Big South matchup that featured a 42-minute rain delay in the top of the sixth inning.

Longwood trailed 2-1 entering the fifth before breaking the game open. Brayden Yeatts led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt that reached on a throwing error, and Tré Keels bunted for a single. Ben Pulliam then drove a three-run home run to center field, scoring Yeatts and Keels and giving the Lancers a 4-2 lead. Jon Howard followed with a solo homer to left center, making it 5-2.

The Buccaneers answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth on a single by Wright that scored Collins, who had walked, advanced on a balk and reached third on a throwing error. The score stood at 5-3.

Longwood added three more runs in the sixth, helped by a Charleston Southern error and a wild pitch. Jon B. singled, Trey Bruggeman singled, and after a sacrifice bunt, Lawson M.’s fielder’s choice brought home Jon B. After the rain delay, Keels reached on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt, scoring Bruggeman, and Carter J.’s fielder’s choice plated Lawson M. for an 8-3 lead.

The Lancers tacked on two more in the seventh. J. McMullan singled, Jon B. doubled, and a sacrifice fly by Bruggeman scored McMullan. Yeatts then drove in Jon B. with a fielder’s choice to make it 10-3.

Charleston Southern got its final run in the eighth when a single by Wright scored Reader, cutting the deficit to 10-4.

Fordham entered the game in the bottom of the second with one out and a runner on second after Charleston Southern had taken a 2-1 lead. He retired one batter that inning, then worked through the sixth, striking out seven and allowing no hits and no walks. He was relieved by Callen Travers in the seventh. Wyatt Bunch closed with 2 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out two.

Keels finished 2 for 4 with a solo home run in the first inning. Pulliam was 1 for 5 with the three-run homer. Howard went 1 for 4 with a solo shot.

For Charleston Southern, Corbin Payne tossed two hitless innings with four strikeouts in relief. Aydan Smith started and allowed two hits and one earned run over four innings with two strikeouts. Zach Stichweh and Tyler Henshaw each worked scoreless innings.

The game was the first of a three-game series scheduled for the weekend. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Charleston Southern with a 64.80 percent probability to win.