April 14, 2010

BOX SCORE: NORTH CAROLINA 8, LONGWOOD 0 (5)
BOX SCORE: NORTH CAROLINA 3, LONGWOOD 2

FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University softball team dropped a pair of games to the 23rd-ranked University of North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference 8-0 (5) and 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Lancer Field in Farmville. The Lancers (29-13) scattered nine hits in the second game, one by each of the first eight hitters in the lineup and two by junior Briana Wells/Romoland, Calif. (Paloma Valley). Junior Maggie Margadonna/Sea Girt, N.J. (Wall Township) hit a double in each game, giving her a team-high 12 on the season. Longwood returns to action on Friday, April 16, when it travels to Hampton for a doubleheader with Hampton University beginning at 1 p.m..

The Lancers fell behind 1-0 in the second inning of the second game when Cara Vitale (1-1, RBI) doubled to center field to drive in a run. The Tar Heels added another run in the top of the fifth inning when Danielle Spaulding (2-4, RBI) hit a solo home run. The Lancers pulled within one in the bottom of the fifth inning when Wells (2-3, RBI) hit a leadoff single. Junior Tricia Nelson/Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield Central) entered as a pinch runner for Wells and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Brittany Matthews/Farmville (Prince Edward). Nelson scored on a RBI double by junior Kami Nuckols/Glen Allen (Patrick Henry) (1-4, RBI) to pull the Lancers within one at 2-1. Longwood kept the hits coming in the sixth inning. Freshman Brooke Short/Altavista (Altavista) (1-3) hit a leadoff single, followed by a pair of infield hits by sophomore Ashley Kramer/Ashburn (Broad Run) (1-3) and senior Camille Ketsdever/Irvine, Calif. (Irvine) (1-3) to load the bases. After a pair of outs, Wells hit a two-out, RBI single up the middle that scored Short. Matthews struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning. The Tar Heels scored the winning run in the top of the seventh inning after a pair of singles put runners on first and second. Wells forced a flyout and a foulout and almost worked out of the jam, but an error by sophomore first baseman Courtney Long/Mechanicsville (Hanover) allowed the winning run to score. The Lancers were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Wells (25-7) received the loss after giving up three runs, two of them earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and four walks in seven innings. UNC's Spaulding (15-2) picked up her second win of the day after entering the game with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and working out of the jam, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts in two innings.

In the first game, UNC jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning after hitting a pair of home runs, including a grand slam by Kelli Wheeler (1-2, 4 RBI). The Tar Heels added two more runs in the second inning on a two-run home run by Brittany McKinney (2-2, 2 RBI) to push the lead to 8-0. Margadonna (1-2) broke up the no-hitter with a double in the fourth inning.

Wells received the loss in the first game after giving up eight runs on five hits in three innings. Spaulding was credited with the win after throwing a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in five innings. Longwood freshman Ashley Cornell/Portsmouth (Churchland) threw two shutout innings, giving up two hits with one walk.